COLA seeks waived labs to participate in pilot program

COLA, a leading U.S. laboratory accreditor, is launching a Waived Testing Pilot Program, designed to obtain laboratory feedback on a series of products for waived labs. Participating laboratories will receive complimentary lab resources, ranging from an on-site survey to enrollment in year-long Proficiency Testing, depending on the pilot program.

COLA plans to conduct four pilot programs starting this fall. These include:

Training Competency – Pilot labs will be provided with a comprehensive training and competency plan, including templates that will guide them in providing effective training and meaningful assessment of competency.

Onsite Survey – COLA will provide a comprehensive Waived Testing Manual, which provides laboratory staff with important information about good laboratory practices.

Quality Assessment – COLA will provide a QA plan and templates for scheduled and defined QA monitors, with help and guidance on how to use the information to improve laboratory processes.

Proficiency Testing – COLA will provide the PT enrollment for the selected waived PT module (a $300 value).

“As millions of new patients enter the health care system, it is critical that we do all that we can to optimize good patient outcomes by ensuring a culture of quality in the performance of waived tests,” says Douglas Beigel, CEO of COLA. “COLA already offers extensive products for waived labs, and these programs are opportunities for labs to sample them at no cost. At the same time, their feedback will enable us to more precisely tailor our educational offerings to labs.”

Beigel says physicians who use the services of a participating lab will be asked to respond to pre-and post-program questionnaires to assess the level of adherence to good laboratory practices for waived testing performed by the lab. Physicians also will be asked to rate their level of confidence in treating patients based upon results generated by the laboratory. COLA also will provide feedback to each laboratory. Interested labs should contact James Liggins at[email protected] or 410-381-6581 for further details.