OLA Educational Activities & Tools

Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) division of QMP–LS  is developing educational activities and tools to help prepare for accreditation.

Eye on OLA from QMP–LS News

• Contract Review.
  QMP–LS News: 2008 May; Issue 126: Eye on OLA.

• Management Reviews.
  QMP–LS News: 2008 April; Issue 125: Eye on OLA.

• Internal Auditing: the Ten Step
  QMP–LS News: 2008 March; Issue 124: Eye on OLA.

• Version 4 Requirement Changes for Physical Facility and Safety.
  QMP–LS News: 2008 Feb; Issue 123: Eye on OLA.

• QMP–LS Releases Version 4 of OLA.
  QMP–LS News: 2008 Jan; Issue 122: Eye on OLA.

• OLA Introduces Face-to-Face Refresher Workshop for OLA Assessors.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Dec; Issue 121: Eye on OLA.

• Monitoring Storage Temperatures of Blood and Blood Products.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Nov; Issue 120: Eye on OLA.

• Raising the bar: Peer Assessment Conformance Exceeds Expectations.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Oct; Issue 119: Eye on OLA.

• Safety Inspections vs. Safety Audits.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Sept; Issue 118: Eye on OLA.

• 2007 Biennial Review of OLA Requirements – A Progress Update.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Aug; Issue 117: Eye on OLA.

• Puzzled over How OLA Picks Assessors?
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Jul; Issue 116: Eye on OLA.

• OLA Requirements Review: What’s the Scope?
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Jun; Issue 115: Eye on OLA.

• OLA Requirements review: let us know!
  QMP–LS News: 2007 May; Issue 114: Eye on OLA.

• Tips On Accessing OLA Requirements Information On-line.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Apr; Issue 113: Eye on OLA.

• Clarification of OLA Requirement regarding Obsolete Documents.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Mar; Issue 112: Eye on OLA.

• Interpretation of OLA Requirement VI.6: Abridged Instructions.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Feb; Issue 111: Eye on OLA.

• The four-hour time limit for urines—To require or not to require?
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Jan; Issue 110: Eye on OLA.

• Repeated non-conformances: When a “minor” becomes a “major.”
  QMP–LS News: 2006 Dec; Issue 109: Eye on OLA.

• An Update on Implementation and Peer Assessment Conformance.
  QMP–LS News: 2006 Nov; Issue 108: Eye on OLA.

• Requirement for Interlaboratory Comparisons.
  QMP–LS News: 2006 Oct; Issue 107: Eye on OLA.

• Interpretation of OLA Requirement V.C.2.3 Specimen Labeling. 
  QMP–LS News: 2006 Sep; Issue 106: Eye on OLA.

• Interpretation of OLA Requirement IV.2-TM70 “What to look for.” 
  QMP–LS News: 2006 Aug; Issue 105: Eye on OLA.

 

QMP–LS News Articles on Accreditation


• Crawford L, Moses G. Traceability and Uncertainty of Measurement for Medical Laboratories—OLA’s Expectations.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Sept; Issue 118.

• Bishop J. What did you say?
  Results of the assessor survey for refresher training.
  QMP–LS News: 2007 Aug; Issue 117.

• Coffey J, Crawford L. Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) Conducts its First Internal Audit.
  QMP–LS News: 2006 Nov; Issue 108.

• Coffey J, Crawford L. Corrective Actions Submitted to OLA.
  QMP–LS News: 2006 Jan; Issue 98.

• Crawford L. Accreditation Certificates Demonstrate Competence for the Accompanied Scope of Accreditation.
  QMP–LS News: 2005 Jul; Issue 92.

• Crawford L, Coffey J. Top Ten Myths about OLA
  QMP–LS News: 2005 Jan; Issue 86.

• Crawford L, Coffey J. OLA – How do we stack up so far? 
  QMP–LS News: 2004 Nov; Issue 84.

• Bishop J. Accreditation and Creativity: Finding our Hidden Talents.
  QMP–LS News: 2004 Mar; Issue 76.

• Crawford L. An Update on the Implementation of Accreditation.
  QMP–LS News: 2003 Dec; Issue 73.

• Crawford L. Participants Find Ontario Laboratory
  Accreditation Symposium Valuable.
  QMP–LS News: 2003 Sep; Issue 69.

• OLA Self-Assessment Commences.
  QMP–LS News: 2003 Jul; Issue 64.

• Plans for Implementation Continue.
  QMP–LS News: 2003 Nov; Issue 62.

• Crawford L, Bishop J, Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  How to Conduct Self-Assessments.
  QMP–LS News: 2003 Jun; Issue 61.

• Crawford L. Proposed Accreditation Process
  Improved Following Pilot Assessments.
  QMP–LS News: 2003 May; Issue 60.

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

• Coffey J, Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation: Great Expectations.
  QMP–LS News: 2003 Nov; Issue 58.

• Crawford L, Coffey J. Preparing  for Accreditation: Are We Ready?
  QMP–LS News: 2003 Jan; Issue 51.

• Bishop J, Crawford. Preparing  for Accreditation:
  What's Up? Who's Doing What?
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Nov; Issue 46.

• Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's Up? A Progress Update
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Oct; Issue 45.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  Getting the Picture 
  How to Prepare Process Flowcharts.
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Sep; Issue 42.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  The Magnificent Seven 
  Document and Record Control Tips.
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Aug; Issue 39.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Process? 
  Clarifying the Process Approach to Laboratory Management and Assessment.
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Jul; Issue 37.

• Coffey J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Scoop? 
  Documenting Policies, Processes and Procedures.
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Jun; Issue 36.

• Bishop J. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Score? 
  Have you submitted your assessor application yet?
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Jun; Issue 35.

• Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation:
  What's the Rush?
  Step-by-Step Planning: The Big Five.
  QMP–LS News: 2002 May; Issue 34.

• Crawford L. QMP–LS Release Guideline
  Information for Accreditation Requirements.
  QMP–LS News: 2002 May; Issue 33.

• Crawford L. Preparing for Accreditation:

• What's the Drill? De-mystifying the assessment process.
  QMP–LS News: 2002 Apr; Issue 31.

Tools

Guidance for Laboratory Quality Manuals (Version 3, August 2006) In Electronic format only – Version 3. An essential requirement of the Ontario Laboratory Accreditation (OLA) program is the design and implementation of a quality management system.  Central to an effective quality management system is the creation of a laboratory quality manual, the top tier of a facility’s quality system documentation. This guide will help Ontario laboratories write a quality manual that meets the criteria defined by the OLA Program Requirements. Glossary of Terms & References

Scientific Communications      [Tips for viewing posters]

2007

Bishop J, Ramotar K, Crawford L. Mandatory Accreditation to ISO 15189:2003—The Ontario Experience. Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (CACMID). Halifax, Nova Scotia. March 2007. (Poster 796 KB)

Coffey J, Crawford L. Ensuring Excellence in Canadian Laboratories — Assessor Training. Quality in the Spotlight Conference. Antwerp, Belgium. March 2007. (Poster 458 KB)

Turner C, Crawford L. Ontario's Mandatory Accreditation to ISO 15189:2003. CSTM Conference. Calgary, Alberta. May 4-6, 2007. (Poster)

2006

Coffey J, Crawford L. Understanding the Canadian Accreditation Standard Z15189—Medical Laboratories Particular Requirements for Quality and Competence. Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science National Congress. Winnipeg, MB. May 2006.  (Workshop)

2005

Crawford L, Richardson H. Evaluation of Medical Laboratory Conformance to ISO 15189:2003 — The Ontario, Canada Experience. Institute for Quality in Laboratory Medicine Conference (IQLM) Conference. Atlanta, Georgia. April 2005.
(Poster 632 KB)

Crawford L, Richardson H. Mandatory Accreditation to ISO 15189:2003 – The Ontario, Canada Experience. Quality in the Spotlight Conference. Antwerp, Belgium. March 2005.
(Poster 417 KB)

Crawford L, Coffey J, Richardson H. Partnering to Promote an Understanding of ISO 15189:2003. Institute for Quality in Laboratory Medicine Conference (IQLM) Conference. Atlanta, Georgia. April 2005.
  (Poster 3053 KB  Large file)

Presentations 

• OLA Requirements 2008 - Important Changes

• Peer Assessment Visits: What to Expect

• Quality Management System: Rationale, Goals & Benefits

• Quality Management System: Implementation