Ask what has been assessed
NABL accredits medical testing laboratories against ISO 15189 requirements for quality and competence. Accreditation relates to a defined scope, which describes the activities or tests covered. [1,2]
The useful question is therefore more specific than “Is this laboratory accredited?” Ask whether the relevant location and investigation are included in its current scope.
A certificate and its scope belong together
Check the laboratory’s identity, certificate details, status and associated scope through the appropriate official information. A familiar name or logo on a collection centre is not enough to answer which facility performs a particular examination and whether that activity is covered.
For a specialised investigation, ask whether it is performed locally or referred to another laboratory and how the report identifies the testing service.
Quality is a continuing process
WHO laboratory quality guidance describes quality as involving the full laboratory system, including personnel, equipment, processes, information and improvement. [3] In day-to-day practice, this means patients and clinicians should be able to ask about preparation, specimen handling, reporting and resolving unexpected findings.
Accreditation should not be described as a promise that every result will be free from error. Nor does it replace the need to interpret a result in the patient’s clinical context.
Questions worth asking
For patients: Where will my sample be tested? What preparation is required? When should I expect the report? Whom should I contact if the result needs clarification?
For clinicians: Is this test within scope at the performing site? What specimen limitations apply? How are urgent results communicated? How can the case be discussed with the appropriate laboratory professional?
Keep the claim precise
Laboratory teams should describe accreditation in terms that match the certificate and scope rather than imply broader approval. Keep public information current when locations, methods or services change.
Accreditation provides useful evidence about a laboratory’s assessed system and competence. Its meaning becomes clearer when the exact service and scope are understood.
References
[1] National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories. Accreditation Process and Scope. Read source
[2] NABL. NABL 100B, Accreditation Process and Procedure. Read source
[3] World Health Organization. Laboratory Quality Management System Handbook. Read source