title: [CAP quality management system in clinical laboratory and its issue].
abstract: The CAP (College of American Pathologists) was established in 1962 and, at present, CAP-accredited laboratories include about 6000 institutions all over the world, mainly in the U.S. The essential purpose of CAP accreditation is high quality reservation and improvement of clinical laboratory services for patient care, and is based on seven points, listed below. (1) Establishment of a laboratory management program and laboratory techniques to assure accuracy and improve overall quality of laboratory services. (2) Maintenance and improvement of accuracy objectively by centering on a CAP survey. (3) Thoroughness in safety and health administration. (4) Reservation of the performance of laboratory services by personnel and proficiency management. (5) Provision of appropriate information to physicians, and contribution to improved quality of patient care by close communication with physicians (improvement in patient care). (6) Reduction of running costs and personnel costs based on evidence by employing the above-mentioned criteria. (7) Reduction of laboratory error. In the future, accreditation and/or certification by organizations such as CAP, ISO, etc., may become a requirement for providing any clinical laboratory services in Japan. Taking the essence of the CAP and the characteristics of the new international standard, ISO151589, into consideration, it is important to choose the best suited accreditation and/or certification depending of the purpose of clinical laboratory.
authors.affiliation: SBS, Inc., Sagamihara 229-1125.
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tazawa
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012308:Risk Management; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014481:United States