Charting the Future Direction of National Microbiological Reference Services in Canada

[Table of Contents]

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Quality Assurance and Accreditation

The area of quality assurance and accreditation was identified as a vital and integral component to an ideal system. Essentially, there was:

• Agreement that consistent national standards and procedures are
• lacking.
• Support for coordinated and consistent proficiency testing.

There was not, however, consensus on the degree to which they need to be implemented (possibly replacing provincial programs), on who should perform the testing, or on what measures should be used.

As such, while there was convergence around the high level issues of quality assurance and accreditation-and agreement on their importance-additional study, planning, and discussion must occur before concrete recommendations can be put forward and implemented.

Participants called for:

23. National standards and coordination. Proficiency testing be standardized, and coordinated nationally.

24. A national laboratory accreditation program. A Laboratory Accreditation Program should be established, to be coordinated by LCDC and financed, in whole or in part, through a "user pay" mechanism.

25. National and international benchmarking. The quality assurance and accreditation practices of the individual provinces, as well as other countries, should be evaluated in the context of their applicability to our national system.

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