AACC Laboratory Management & Operations Flashcards
6 cards from real AACC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 AACC Laboratory Management & Operations flashcards as text
Which accreditation body oversees clinical laboratory quality and compliance in the United States under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)?
Answer: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
CMS is the federal agency that oversees CLIA, which regulates all US clinical laboratory testing on human specimens.
A laboratory director receives a critical value result. What is the FIRST action that must be taken?
Answer: Notify the ordering physician or responsible clinician immediately
Critical values must be communicated immediately to the ordering clinician so that urgent patient care decisions can be made.
What is the primary purpose of a laboratory's standard operating procedure (SOP)?
Answer: To provide step-by-step instructions ensuring consistent, reproducible test performance
SOPs ensure that all staff perform procedures the same way, reducing variability and supporting quality test results.
Under CLIA regulations, how long must laboratories retain records for non-waived tests?
Answer: 2 years
CLIA requires that records for non-waived tests, including patient test records and quality control data, be retained for a minimum of 2 years.
Which staffing model assigns a single laboratory professional to perform multiple types of testing across different disciplines?
Answer: Cross-training model
Cross-training allows laboratory staff to be competent in multiple disciplines, improving flexibility and operational efficiency.
What document outlines the expected performance characteristics of a laboratory test method before implementation?
Answer: Method validation report
A method validation report documents accuracy, precision, linearity, and other performance characteristics established before a new test goes into clinical use.