The Mérieux Foundation is a family foundation established in 1967. Its mission is to fight infectious diseases mainly in countries with limited resources, by building local capacities. It therefore works with local stakeholders through numerous projects, including the Quality Initiative.
In France the accreditation of medical biology laboratories is a regulatory obligation, which is not the case everywhere. At national level, some countries do not have accreditation bodies or a policy for implementing a quality program throughout their territory.
For this reason, in 2014, we launched the Quality Initiative to provide support for laboratories wishing to learn more about quality (and biosecurity), and in their accreditation process.
Our experience has shown us that the implementation of an efficient, relevant Quality Management System (QMS) enables laboratories to optimize their organization, to demonstrate their technical skills and to deliver quality results.
What does quality mean?
Quality in clinical laboratories refers to the accuracy, timeliness and reliability of diagnostic testing results.
Establishing a QMS in clinical laboratories means:
- Developing good laboratory practices with controlled processes and standardize them by written procedures
- Satisfying stakeholders: meeting the needs of patients, physicians and health authorities
- Promoting a continuous improvement approach and a quality culture