Joint Commission on International Accreditation workshop: Planning, development and provision of laboratory services

Throughout the world, the oversight of health care quality is accomplished through professionally based accrediting bodies and state regulatory agencies. These organizations set standards or define regulations that address important organizational functions. The Joint Commission, a private sector United States-based non-profit organization, is the forerunner and best known among healthcare accreditation groups. One of the functions assessed by the standards of the JCI Clinical Laboratory Accreditation Program is the planning, development and provision of laboratory services. The standards related to this issue adress the necessary processes that should be in place prior to performing patient testing.