Contracting With Accreditation Consultants
Caveat Emptor: Let The Buyer Beware
from
the January 2005 issue
The
ICAVL employs administrative and technical staff members dedicated
to answering questions and assisting laboratory staff members
with their applications for accreditation. The accreditation
process has been designed to be completed by laboratory staff
members, as the educational, self-evaluation portion of the
process provides monumental benefit. Laboratory staff members
are encouraged to contact the ICAVL office with any questions,
as often as needed, while working through the process. This
service is provided, by the ICAVL, at no charge.
However,
a small percentage of facilities choose to hire consultants
to assist with the preparation of their applications. Consultants
are most often used when internal staff members are unable to
dedicate time to completion of the application, when drastic
revisions to laboratory procedures are envisioned prior to achieving
accreditation, or when ongoing advice from someone outside the
facility might provide an additional perspective regarding day-to-day
operations.
The
use of consultants is certainly not required for accreditation,
nor will their assistance guarantee that a laboratory becomes
accredited. The ICAVL neither endorses nor receives monetary
compensation from consultants, but does provide a directory
of providers on the ICAVL website, at http://www.intersocietal.org/consultantssoftware.htm,
as a service to applicant laboratories.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING A CONSULTANT
Laboratories
that choose to contract with a consultant for assistance with
completing the accreditation process should take steps to ensure
that they receive comprehensive, quality service. Unfortunately,
the ICAVL often witnesses cases where laboratories expend great
resources and receive unsatisfactory service from their consultant.
In many cases, these laboratories receive delayed accreditation
decisions, pending the submission of additional materials documenting
corrections.
INFORMATION TO GATHER WHEN CONSIDERING
A CONSULTANT
- a
proposal outlining exact services to be provided
- references
- credentials
- percentage
of accredited clients
EXAMPLES OF THE LEVEL OF SERVICES
PROVIDED BY A QUALITY CONSULTANT
- a
specified number of visits to the lab
- preparation
of a laboratory-specific policy and procedure manual
- timely
follow-up to issues raised by the client
- follow-up
within a defined period of time to delay issues, if applicable
- assistance
with areas such as quality assurance, once the application
has been submitted and/or a decision rendered
- notification
to the client when new technologies and/or software become
available
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