ISO and CEN documents on quality in medical laboratories

The forthcoming international standard ISO 15189 "Quality management in the medical laboratory" is a document of great importance for the development of quality systems and accreditation for medical/clinical laboratories. For the first time, there will be an internationally recognized standard designed specifically for the accreditation of medical laboratories. The document takes into account the special requirements imposed by the medical environment and by the essential contribution of the medical laboratory service to patient care. It recognizes that medical laboratories must provide not only testing of patient samples, but also advisory, interpretative and educational services. A further document, still in draft form (ISO/DIS 15190), deals with safety management for medical laboratories. ISO 15189 (and probably 15190 also) are expected be adopted by CEN as a European Standard (EN).