News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel

News, Analysis, Trends, Management Innovations for
Clinical Laboratories and Pathology Groups

Hosted by Robert Michel
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Medicare’s New IQCP Requirements: What You Need to Know, What Your Lab Must Do

Medicare’s New IQCP Requirements: What You
Need to Know, What Your Lab Must Do

Webinar held Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

It’s not too late! You can still order a CD of the live webinar to share with your team

Call 512-264-7103 or email The Dark Report at info@darkreport.com


Labs have until January 1, 2016 to establish the principals of IQCP in their labs. After that, CMS will no longer allow EQC methods.

IQCP introduces many new elements into the QC process.
Are you and your lab staff ready for what is new, what is different, and what you should be doing to prepare?


 

Compliance with CLIA requirements is essential for every medical laboratory that performs non-waived testing. The big news is that a major change in how labs must meet quality control standards is about to take place, with an effective date of January 1, 2016.

The new development opens up a new way for your laboratory to meet the quality control standards of CLIA. The revisions published by CMS now allow labs to develop and use an IQCP (Individual Quality Control Plan) as a way to meet these new quality control standards. This fact alone should have the attention of every laboratory director of a CLIA-accredited lab.

To help laboratory directors and their key managers prepare for this significant change in CLIA requirements, a special 90-minute webinar titled “Medicare’s New IQCP Requirements: What You Need to Know, What Your Lab Must Do” will take place February 4th.

This is an essential session for anyone responsible for quality control at a CLIA-accredited laboratory. Further, the fact that IQCPs are being incorporated into CLIA, means existing CLIA quality control (QC) and quality systems (QS) won’t change. To repeat, no regulations will change!

What does change should be understood by every director of a CLIA laboratory. Once effective in 2016, IQCP will supersede the current CLIA policy for EQC—Equivalent Quality Control. After January 1, 2016, labs will no longer have the option of using EQC. It is important that you understand why this will happen, along with what your lab must do after that date to demonstrate to inspectors that your lab’s quality control program is up to date and effective.

(It’s not too late! You can still order a CD of the live webinar to share with your team)

First up on the agenda is Rose Mary Casados, President of COLA Resources, Inc. Casados is recognized as one the nation’s most knowledgeable experts on IQCP, and is responsible for establishing educational programs nationally and locally to teach medical laboratory professionals about IQCP’s principles and the role it plays in helping a lab meet CLIA requirements.

From Rose Mary, you’ll learn about the big three—Risk Assessment, Quality Assurance, and Quality Control—and the role each plays in your lab’s development of an IQCP.

Of course, the language of the CMS revisions does have ambiguity in places and you can count on Casados to guide you through the intent of the language and how CLIA inspectors will assess your lab on compliance with these elements. For example, a lab is required to assess all risks specific to its operation and demonstrate that fact by having available documentation that shows the details of this risk assessment. But, since IQCP does not mandate any specific method of risk assessment, Casados will discuss the range of acceptable methods that will meet CLIA criteria.

Next, you’ll hear a lab case study where the lab team is already moving forward with establishing an IQCP program that fits the CLIA requirements issued by CMS. Terri Criswell from Amarillo Medical Specialists will discuss how her lab team prioritized the development and implementation of IQCP in their lab. You’ll also get practical insights from the lab’s lessons learned about what works best and the common pitfalls to avoid.

Here’s just some of what you’ll learn during this
information-packed 90-minute webinar:

  • Understand the basics of an individual quality control plan and what makes it different from other approaches to lab quality control
  • Determine the proper procedures for risk assessment
  • Identify and evaluate the sources of potential failures and errors in a testing process that impact the accuracy and precision of test results
  • Evaluate the risks specific to your laboratory
  • Reduce and mitigate residual risk with defined processes and tools
  • Develop quality assurance protocols that focus on providing confidence that quality requirements will be fulfilled
  • Learn the steps necessary to building your lab’s individualized quality control plan

THE DARK REPORT WEBINAR AT A GLANCE

DATE: Wednesday, February 4, 2015

TIME: 1 PM EST; 12 Noon CST; 11 AM MST; 10 AM PST

PLACE: Your computer and/or speakerphone

COST: $195 per dial-in site (unlimited attendance per site) through 1/09/15, $245 thereafter

TO ORDER CD: Call 1-800-560-6363 toll-free
(It’s not too late! You can still order a CD of the live webinar to share with your team)

For one low price—just $195 (through 1/09/15; $245 thereafter), you and your entire team can take part in this fast-paced, insightful webinar. Best of all, you’ll be able to submit your own specific questions during the Q&A session following our speakers’ prepared remarks. This is high value for you and your lab’s unique needs!

Get the authoritative advice and the practical guidance you need,
with your attendance of this timely and affordable webinar

As an attendee of this important session, you will come away with two important benefits: first, you will understand the context of the revised CLIA requirements involving IQCPs. Second, you will have confidence to work with your lab team to implement an IQCP that will pass muster when the CLIA inspector shows up to look around.

This timely webinar is about gaining peace of mind that you know the essentials and have all the bases covered on this new development. You’ll have confidence that you understand the fundamentals of IQCP compared to EQC and CLIA QC regulatory requirements as written.

Most importantly—for laboratory directors of CLIA labs, this webinar will prepare you for both the tough and easy steps needed to put IQCP into place in your lab.

 

Your Order includes:

  • A site license to attend the webinar (invite as many people as you can fit around your conference table at no extra charge)
  • A downloadable PowerPoint presentation from our speakers
  • A full transcript emailed to you soon after the conference

For more information, call THE DARK REPORT offices at 512-264-7103.

 

 

 

She is a member of DxMA, ASM and AMP and was a Microbiology Supervisor before transitioning to the diagnostic industry.”
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