Interactive online education tool helps medical labs prepare for ISO 15189 accreditation

The Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare today announced the availability of the complete Decoding ISO 15189(TM) series. The interactive online education tool helps medical labs prepare for ISO 15189 accreditation, which is designed to improve patient safety.

Medical labs around the world are adopting the ISO 15189 standard, which requires them to implement a quality management system, identify and address non-conformities and undergo audits in order to improve patient safety. ISO 15189 requires labs to standardize processes and ensure employees understand and are following the correct procedures when performing lab tests in order to improve the quality of results. This is critical because up to 85% of decisions about a patient's diagnosis and treatment are based on test results.

"ISO 15189 is the future for medical laboratories. A lab that achieves accreditation to ISO 15189 can be proud of its accomplishment and its commitment to world-class excellence. At its heart, ISO 15189 is about improving patient safety and that is why labs around the world are adopting it," said Dr. Gregory Flynn, the CEO of IQMH. "Decoding ISO 15189(TM) translates ISO 15189 into an easy-to-follow action plan and provides labs with the tools they need to prepare for accreditation."

Decoding ISO 15189(TM) - an interactive online education series that includes video coaching tips, access to tools such as workbooks, templates and samples, and dozens of downloadable PDFs - helps labs implement the ISO 15189 requirements. Labs can use the tool to educate staff on the complex requirements, gain guidance on how to implement a quality management system and establish a plan of action that will help them fast track the accreditation process. The 15 modules are available online, allowing users to re-watch the modules and work at their own pace.