Accreditation system for standard operating procedure to diagnose infectious disease

Kim Min Joon, Kim Gab Jung, Lee Sangwon
Division of laboratory diagnosis management, KCDC

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is Korea's representative organization in the field of infectious disease laboratory testing and analysis. In order to standardize and verify infectious disease laboratory tests, we have been operating the accreditation system for laboratory test methods since 2009. In 2017, we revised the accreditation system and introduced accreditation requirements that meet international standards. The accreditation of the standard procedure consists of two stages : peer review and accreditation committee evaluation. It assesses the scientific validity of the test method and the suitability of the test strategy to identify infectious diseases. By 2019, we will complete the accreditation of all laboratory test methods that are being conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and continue to certify test methods for emerging infectious diseases such as Crimean-congo hemorrhagic fever. The standard operating procedures to diagnose infectious disease will be continuously updated, and accredited test methods will be distributed to the National Institutes of Health and Environment. It aims to improve laboratory test quality across the national laboratory system.

Keywords: infectious disease, laboratory test, accreditation system