Accreditation for laboratory medicine facilities
The Diagnostic Accreditation Program is the regulatory accreditation body for laboratory medicine diagnostic services in BC. We ensure availability of accreditation services to all diagnostic facilities and apply all policies and procedures in a non-discriminatory manner.
DAP limited service accreditation scheme
This accreditation scheme is for facilities that:
- provide diagnostic services near or at the patient side (e.g. point-of-care testing)
- use complex methodology
Key features
Right-touch accreditation
- designed for community-based diagnostic services
- does not require full core facility assessment
Quality care in community settings
- supports safe, high-quality care
Accreditation standards
- applies a focused scope of DAP core accreditation standards
Who can apply
For:
- facilities providing diagnostic services near or at the patient's bedside
- services that use complex methods and/or pose a higher risk of harm to a patient
Eligibility is subject to DAP review based on the proposed service and equipment
Not for:
- acute care facilities that are part of a larger health authority already accredited by DAP
- non-acute care facilities under a larger accredited health authority
Provisional accreditation
Facilities require provisional accreditation prior to opening and operating in BC. No diagnostic facility may operate without an accreditation award.
The provisional accreditation certificate is valid for up to two years.
After one year of the initial assessment, the DAP reassesses the diagnostic service to the full set of applicable standards and decides whether the facility is ready to be awarded the full accredited status.
Full accreditation
All accredited labs are re-evaluated every four years to ensure continued compliance with DAP’s Laboratory Medicine Standards.
Focused assessments occur when a lab adds new services or equipment.
Accreditation awards are specific to the scope of services that were observed at the time of assessment. The existing accreditation award can be expanded to include the new diagnostic service upon successful completion of a focused assessment.
A focused assessment uses a narrow standard set that addresses patient and staff safety, and facility equipment validation prior to offering a new diagnostic service.
Relocation assessments are required if the facility moves to a new location.
The relocation assessment uses a focused standard set addressing patient and staff safety and facility equipment validation prior to offering patient services. The new location must successfully meet the assessment standards before the accreditation award can be transferred from the old location to the new location.
The regional assessment model is used for facilities who have common governance, including:
- oversight of the quality manual
- safety program
- human resource management
- quality management system
Regional assessments are conducted to reduce the duplication of work when multiple facilities in the same regional system are required to provide the same evidence.
- A comprehensive assessment to the DAP organizational standards will be conducted at a primary site
- Conformance to regional standards will be sampled at each related facility