This project is part of a cooperative
agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL). The
primary focus is to conduct a systematic analysis to understand
which types of laboratories follow proficiency testing (PT) good
laboratory practices (GLPs) and to identify which kinds of
laboratories could be targeted to promote PT GLPs. Based upon prior
work conducted by APHL and CDC, it appears that many of these
laboratories use their PT results internally for quality
improvement. Since laboratories already pay for PT materials to
meet regulatory requirements, the use of PT for quality improvement
purposes has the potential to further improve laboratory quality at
no additional cost to US clinical laboratories. In addition, by
conducting this analysis APHL and CDC hope to learn more about the
types of laboratories that do not comply with the Clinical
Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA) PT requirements.
The survey population frame is 20,500 Certificate of Compliance
laboratories and 16,800 Certificate of Accreditation laboratories.
All of these laboratories are required to perform PT in accordance
with CLIA.
US Code:
42
USC 241 Name of Law: The Public Health land Welfare
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.