The Labcorp Quality Story
Labcorp’s National Office of Quality (NOQ) keeps Labcorp at the forefront of clinical and anatomic pathology services by consistently meeting regulatory requirements that help us safely and proficiently serve our patients and their providers.
The NOQ holds itself to the following principles
Persistent
We are persistent in our pursuit of quality, seeking newer avenues to help improve patient and provider outcomes
Innovative
We pursue bold new ways to improve the quality of the entire lab
Proactive
We are proactive in our elevation of labs, testing and staff, striving for more ways to improve patient lives
Meet our team of highly skilled and trained professionals
Our teams are trained in quality tools, performance improvement processes, and internal and external auditing. Our training in Six Sigma and Lean Management allows us to drive and champion quality improvement initiatives.
Our goal is to help people generate new ideas, solve problems, and provide the proper planning and implementation of a quality management program to best support our global laboratory operations.
As experts in process improvement, we drive continuous innovation and boldly pursue new approaches to quality.
Laboratory Leadership
Our laboratory directors play a critical role in the maintenance of quality testing and regulatory compliance at each of our laboratories.
Some important functions of our laboratory directors include:
Establishing that our test systems, methodologies and reports provide quality laboratory services
Confirming laboratory personnel are qualified, trained and competent
Ensuring that quality control, proficiency testing and equipment maintenance is performed regularly and that appropriate action is taken when necessary
Quality Stories
How we uphold quality throughout our organization
AccuDraw®
Discover how AccuDraw® technology helps ensure the right specimen is drawn from the right patient at the right time.
Automation Using Propel®
Since 2013, our innovative robotic automation technology Propel® has been improving quality and efficiencies in our labs.
Reference Interval Development
Learn more about how we leverage our vast amount of patient data to develop more accurate and robust reference intervals for gender and age-specific pediatric, adult and geriatric populations.
Our Commitment to Quality
Labcorp employs a number of processes and metrics to ensure quality in all that we do. Here are a few ways we work to elevate quality.
-
Labcorp’s quality management system (QMS) guides our efforts to reduce risk, minimize errors and ensure quality. The ultimate goal is to meet the expectations of the customers.
Labcorp’s QMS is designed to be responsive to the needs of healthcare providers and their patients by incorporating process improvement that targets laboratory specific parameters. Our QMS complies with federal, state and local regulations, as well as accreditation organization standards such as the College of American Pathologists, AABB and ISO 15189.
Our QMS is built upon Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 12 Quality System Essentials (QSE). The QSEs are the building blocks of the QMS and are described within each laboratory’s quality manual.
-
Every year, we evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our QMS to determine key quality indicators. These quality indicators and their related thresholds help us define a path to improved performance for each laboratory based on their unique requirements.
-
Moving toward a culture of continual improvement starts with identifying opportunities for improvement and developing sustainable solutions.
At Labcorp, the NOQ’s role in this process entails:- Assuring the overall quality of services rendered to Labcorp clients in terms of reliability, accuracy, precision and timeliness
- Acting in a proactive manner to identify and rapidly resolve issues which adversely affect Labcorp quality
- Monitoring the effectiveness of corrective action to ensure problems are resolved
- Overseeing implementation of preventive measures
- Providing leadership for Labcorp quality programs including the implementation of policies and systems which lead to continuous improvement
- Evaluating new ideas and current developments in the field of quality management
- Promoting a culture of quality throughout the Labcorp laboratory system through communication and increased quality awareness
- Annually evaluating the overall effectiveness of the national quality management plan
- Maintaining and initiating improvement when appropriate
-
The NOQ Audit Program is designed to assess how well our lab policies, processes and procedures comply and conform with regulatory and accreditation requirements. These audits help laboratories improve their quality management system and identify opportunities for improvement.
The NOQ is responsible for conducting audits of laboratories within the Labcorp network. The NOQ will also perform audits upon request for a specific department or process. Routine quality audits of the regional, esoteric and satellite laboratories are the responsibility of the local and regional quality staff.
-
Accreditation is synonymous with both quality and competence of an organization. Labcorp participates in the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Laboratory Accreditation Program, is certified by CLIA and holds current licensure or permits required by state or local regulations. We also comply with standards set forth by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Discover and review our licensure and accreditations