http://www.cchsa-ccass.ca/default.aspx?page=51&cat=34

CCHSA currently offers a national accreditation program for laboratories,
which was developed in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association.
The laboratory program offers an integrated approach that focuses on the
laboratory's link to service provision, including a focus on increased
efficiency, less duplication, safety, quality improvement, and a balanced
perspective of the laboratory's role in the organization.

The laboratory component of CCHSA's accreditation program is currently
implemented in provinces where there is no provincial laboratory
accreditation program. CCHSA is exploring partnerships with other provincial
programs that do exist, in order to minimize duplication of processes.


In preparation for surveys in 2008, CCHSA's laboratory standards will be
converted to the new program. Moreover, the approach to laboratory surveys
will change. The laboratory survey will be based on a tracer methodology,
whereby surveyors focus on interfaces and handoffs between individuals and
clinical areas. There will be an increased focus on the link to clinical
providers and the reporting of results. These changes will strengthen the
review of the laboratory, make it more robust, and increase the relevance to
organizations.