OLA Educational Activities & Tools

Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) division of QMP–LS  is developing educational activities and tools to help prepare for accreditation. Here are some QMP-News columns and articles on accreditation.

Eye on OLA columns from QMP–LS News

2010

• The top ten toughest requirements to meet. Jan, Issue 146

2009

• Fullfilling EQA Requirements: VII.9.9 versus VII.10. Dec, Issue 145

• The importance of maintaining competence - an update on conformance observed by OLA. Nov, Issue 144

• OLA program values revisited. Oct, Issue 143

• QMP-LS makes information about accredited laboratories public
  Sep, Issue 142

• Bill C-11 the HPTA receives Royal Assent
  Aug, Issue 141

• The accreditation assessment visit: secrets to success
  Jul, Issue 140

• Welcome to new OLA staff
  Jun, Issue 139

• Celebrate International Accreditation Day
  May, Issue 138:

• OLA releases guidance on traceability and uncertainty of measurement
  Apr, Issue 137:

• QMP-LS commences biennial review of OLA Requirements and Guidance
  Mar, Issue 136:

• Accreditation Requirements for Physical Facilities - Floors Ergonomics and Frost-free Refrigerators
  Feb, Issue 135:

• OLA division completes third internal audit
  Jan, Issue 134:

 

2008

• OLA Assessment History QView™ Reports - An Explanation.

  Dec, Issue 133

• Ontario laboratorians urged to participate in November Webinars to explain surveillance of participation and performance in external proficiency testing/external quality assessment (PT/EQA) programs. 

  Nov, Issue 132

• OLA launches its first participant satisfaction survey.

  Oct, Issue 131

• Proposed Federal Human Pathogens and Toxins Act.

  Sep, Issue 130

• OLA Requirements for Referral Laboratory Management Section II.G.

  Aug, Issue 129

• The Accreditation Cycle Repeats.
  Jul, Issue 128

• Accreditation: Delivering Trust in Competence of Laboratories.
  June, Issue 127

• Contract Review.
  May, Issue 126

• Management Reviews.
  April, Issue 125

• Internal Auditing: the Ten Step.
  March, Issue 124

• Version 4 Requirement Changes for Physical Facility and Safety.
  Feb, Issue 123

• QMP–LS Releases Version 4 of OLA.
  Jan, Issue 122

2007

• OLA Introduces Face-to-Face Refresher Workshop for OLA Assessors.
  Dec, Issue 121

• Monitoring Storage Temperatures of Blood and Blood Products.
  Nov, Issue 120

• Raising the bar: Peer Assessment Conformance Exceeds Expectations.
  Oct, Issue 119

• Safety Inspections vs. Safety Audits.
  Sept, Issue 118

• 2007 Biennial Review of OLA Requirements – A Progress Update.
  Aug, Issue 117

• Puzzled over How OLA Picks Assessors?
  Jul, Issue 116

• OLA Requirements Review: What’s the Scope?
  Jun, Issue 115

• OLA Requirements review: let us know!
  May, Issue 114

• Tips On Accessing OLA Requirements Information On-line.
  Apr, Issue 113

• Clarification of OLA Requirement regarding Obsolete Documents.
  Mar, Issue 112

• Interpretation of OLA Requirement VI.6: Abridged Instructions.
  Feb, Issue 111

• The four-hour time limit for urines—To require or not to require?
  Jan, Issue 110

2006

• Repeated non-conformances: When a “minor” becomes a “major.”
  Dec, Issue 109

• An Update on Implementation and Peer Assessment Conformance.
  Nov, Issue 108

• Requirement for Interlaboratory Comparisons.
  Oct, Issue 107

• Interpretation of OLA Requirement V.C.2.3 Specimen Labeling. 
  Sep, Issue 106

• Interpretation of OLA Requirement IV.2-TM70 “What to look for.” 
  Aug, Issue 105

QMP–LS News Articles on Accreditation

2010

• Harmonizing OLA accreditation for Ontario’s licensed medical laboratories
  with Accreditation Canada surveys. Jan, Issue 146

2009

• In appreciation of OLA assessors. Dec, Issue 145

• Crawford L. It’s not what you’ve got but how you use it.
  QMP–LS News: 2009 Oct, Issue 143.

• Flynn G. Certification Registration and Accreditation.
  QMP–LS News: 2009 Sep, Issue 142.

• Flynn G. What’s inside the numbers 15189.
  QMP–LS News: 2009 Aug, Issue 141.

• Crawford L. Ontario laboratories have much to celebrate during Medical Laboratory Week.
  QMP–LS News: 2009 Apr, Issue 137.

• Crawford L and Turner L. OLA provides definition and revised criteria for increased surveillance of participation and performance in PT/EQA.
  QMP–LS News: 2009 Mar, Issue 136.

2008

• Crawford L. Implementing mandatory accreditation in Ontario’s licensed medical laboratories — initial assessments now complete and key changes in store for future assessments.
  Oct, Issue 131.

• Crawford and Fry C. Important changes to Ontario Laboratory Accreditation: Version 4.1 (July 2008) of accreditation Requirements released QMP–LS to issue four-year accreditation certificates.
  Jul, Issue 128.

• Fry C and Crawford L. Management Review - Take a good look yourself.
  April, Issue 125.

• Crawford L. Hear ye hear ye! QMP–LS rings in 2008 with new Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) Requirements.

   Jan, Issue 122.

2007

• Crawford L Moses G. Traceability and Uncertainty of Measurement for Medical Laboratories—OLA’s Expectations.
  Sept, Issue 118.

• Bishop J. What did you say? Results of the assessor survey for refresher training.
  Aug, Issue 117.

2006

• Coffey J Crawford L. Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) Conducts its First Internal Audit.
  Nov, Issue 108.

• Coffey J Crawford L. Corrective Actions Submitted to OLA.
  Jan, Issue 98.

2005

• Crawford L. Accreditation Certificates Demonstrate Competence for the Accompanied Scope of Accreditation.
  Jul, Issue 92.

• Crawford L Coffey J. Top Ten Myths about OLA
  Jan, Issue 86.

2004

• Crawford L Coffey J. OLA – How do we stack up so far? 
  Nov, Issue 84.

• Bishop J. Accreditation and Creativity: Finding our Hidden Talents.
  Mar, Issue 76.

2003

• Crawford L. An Update on the Implementation of Accreditation.
  Dec, Issue 73.

• Crawford L. Participants Find Ontario Laboratory
  Accreditation Symposium Valuable.
  Sep, Issue 69.

• OLA Self-Assessment Commences.
  Jul, Issue 64.

• Plans for Implementation Continue.
  Nov, Issue 62.

• Crawford L Bishop J Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  How to Conduct Self-Assessments.
  Jun, Issue 61.

• Crawford L. Proposed Accreditation Process
  Improved Following Pilot Assessments.
  May, Issue 60.

• Coffey J Crawford L. Revised Requirements for Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (Version 2 May 2003) Now Available.
  Nov, Issue 59.

• Coffey J Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation: Great Expectations.
  Nov, Issue 58.

• Crawford L Coffey J. Preparing  for Accreditation: Are We Ready?
  Jan, Issue 51.

2002

• Bishop J Crawford. Preparing  for Accreditation:
  What's Up? Who's Doing What?
  Nov, Issue 46.

• Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's Up? A Progress Update
  Oct, Issue 45.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  Getting the Picture 
  How to Prepare Process Flowcharts.
  Sep, Issue 42.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  The Magnificent Seven 
  Document and Record Control Tips.
  Aug, Issue 39.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Process? 
  Clarifying the Process Approach to Laboratory Management and Assessment.
  Jul, Issue 37.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Scoop? 
  Documenting Policies Processes and Procedures.
  Jun, Issue 36.

• Bishop J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Score? 
  Have you submitted your assessor application yet?
  Jun, Issue 35.

• Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Rush?
  Step-by-Step Planning: The Big Five.
  May, Issue 34.

• Crawford L. QMP–LS Release Guideline
  Information for Accreditation Requirements.
  May, Issue 33.

• Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation:

• What's the Drill? De-mystifying the assessment process.
  Apr, Issue 31.

For more educational tools