Why is there a need for CAP accreditation?

By having a CAP accreditation, it can show that the laboratory has fulfilled the regulatory requirements, skilled in carrying out its specific tasks and that patient care and safety are always well taken care of to the highest possible quality, minimizing errors in laboratory results which can lead to wrong diagnosis and treatment.1,2 This thus, allows the existence of trust between the accredited laboratories and the third parties in the information generated during the testing procedures, preventing unnecessary verification that could save time and money.2 Furthermore, acknowledgement of test results generated in other countries can also be facilitated.2

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1. CLSI eNews. (2007). Excellence in Laboratory Performance: CLSI and CAP Aligned for a Common Goal. Retrieved June 14, 2008, from http://enews.nccls.org/clsi/textonly/2007-11-01/4.html

2. Singapore Accreditation Council. (2005). SAC E-ALERT-SAC-CAP Joint Programme. Retrieved June 14, 2008, from http://www.sac-accreditation.gov.sg/news.asp?month=7&year=2005

Done by Xin Yi