Cap accreditation

UHS is CAP accredited- Top international quality standard for pathology laboratories

Advancements in medical science, rising consciousness among people about their health care and improved knowledge about the diagnosis and treatment are some of the factors that have made it imperative for the medical industry to assure patients with standardized quality and efficiency of services.

What is CAP accreditation?

College of American Pathologists (CAP) is a member-based organization incepted in 1946. It comprises over 18000 board-certified pathologists. CAP caters to pathologists and patients by promoting best medical practices across pathology and laboratory entities globally. The accreditation program of the CAP began in 1961. It encompasses 7940 laboratories in the USA and more than 430 labs in 50 countries around the world. CAP is authorized to certify the whole gamut of lab testing fields. To qualify, laboratories must fulfill the stringent criteria comprising a customized and objective set of requirements and conditions.

What does CAP accreditation entail?

CAP is the global leader in quality assurance as it is the largest organization made up of pathologists wholly certified by the American Board of Pathology. Enhancing high-quality, affordable health care is one of the top objectives of CAP. It administers and examines the accreditation under the jurisdiction of the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The 21 discipline-specific points act as a comprehensive guide to determine the qualification. The compliance of these 21 points by any laboratory is a testimony of world-class services. CAP updates these specifications annually to incorporate the latest advancements in laboratory medicine taking place around the globe. The pre-determination of the specifications instil transparency in the complete process of accreditation, removing the scope of bias or prejudice.

What difference does CAP accreditation make for a path lab?

CAP accreditation holds an edge over other standards and quality management programs based on the detailed set of factors and areas it inspects a pathological laboratory. CAP consists of experts in laboratory medicine- anatomical and clinical. Unlike other accreditation programs that focus solely on examining the laboratory procedures broadly, CAP digs deeper. By harnessing the in-depth and sophisticated knowledge base, CAP focuses on reviewing laboratory specific-procedures. This facet makes getting CAP accreditation more challenging for the laboratories. It also makes CAP accreditation distinguished. The objective of the guidelines and requirements issued by CAP is to corroborate medical organizations in ensuring the delivery of high-quality patient care and enhancing the value of the laboratory. CAP doesn’t only focus on the status-quo of the lab but also strives to consistently calibrate advancements by providing a strategic advantage to laboratories through cutting edge tools and educational resources. Listed below are some of the benefits of CAP accreditation:

Helping path labs accommodate the advancements in medicine and technology

A CAP-accredited lab embodies the best standards of lab services/ medical entity. With the assurance of exemplary results, a CAP-accredited laboratory contributes in augmenting value to medical researches. The premium lab instruments supported by leading-edge technology partake in improving the techniques of disease treatment and quality of patient care.

Sharing ideas and best practices among industry counterparts

The process of CAP accreditation involves site inspections by a team of learned members coming from versatile backgrounds. It generates opportunities to brainstorm and innovate. Being CAP-accredited symbolizes par-excellence quality and safety standards. It opens up avenues to collaborate with prestigious CAP-accredited labs and peers.

Boosts professional learning and growth

CAP offers a plethora of opportunities for personnel associated with labs and related medical professionals in terms of learning opportunities. It integrates resourceful and like-minded experts that tremendously aids in learning and growth across diverse domains related to the pathological/ medical industry.

Managing accuracy in test results and diagnosis

A meticulous examination of test samples followed by correct results determines the proper diagnosis of any medical condition. Precision, promptness, safety and superior quality laboratory services are some of the basic premises of CAP accreditation. All these facets are immensely significant for the reputation and trust vested by people and institutions in a pathology laboratory.

Helps fulfil renowned international standards

The stringent and extensive standards established by the CAP laboratory accreditation program encompasses the benchmarks required to qualify prestigious international certifications like FDA, CLIA and OSHA. The all-encompassing CAP accreditation criteria surpass the requirements of these standards, taking patient care and safety a notch higher.

The journey of UHS for CAP accreditation:

Leading pathology laboratory in the region

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (UHS-DPLM) is the premier pathology laboratory across GCC and MENA. Equipped with avant-garde automated technologies, the UHS laboratory offers a complete range of tests in the fields of biochemistry, immunity, tissue analysis, hematology and more. It also has a full-fledged, well-stocked blood bank.

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is vested with technical know-how to execute the most complex and intricate screenings and tests. The highest degree of standardization, accolades and quality-control benchmarks is a testimony of the accuracy of the investigation done by the immensely skilled staff of UHS- DPLM. The UHS pathology laboratory controls and utilizes the chemical substance and materials with utmost precision. It encompasses critical specialties like Histopathology and Molecular Medicine which includes PCR tests. The world-class pathology laboratory has a colossal operational capability and the potential to test over 10000 samples/day in the forthcoming time.

Impeccable performance by UHS in the elaborate assessment

UHS department of pathology and laboratory medicine was able to qualify the strenuous criteria of the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program by meeting the strict international standards without any loopholes. UHS undertook the self-efficacy program requiring an analysis of a diverse set of samples from around the world. For months hundreds of tests were conducted, followed by submission of these to the official website of CAP. Besides the accuracy of the results, UHS- DPLM qualified the predetermined CAP benchmarks on several other factors like internal safety, hygiene, technological competence, safety protocols, customer and doctor satisfaction. The whole process involved months of hard work, resilience and zeal for perfection by the laboratory, medical and operational staff members of UHS.

UHS is delighted to be awarded CAP accreditation as it signifies prominence and bestows a paramount reputation to a pathological laboratory. It gives us a competitive advantage helping us to augment the quality process through PT/ EQA programs. It also bolsters our confidence in the test assessment and results, inhibiting risks and gaining management support and modification needs in laboratory medicine. The accolade is another feather in the cap for UHS and a step further in the direction to become the most trusted multi-speciality hospital across GCC and MENA.