Formal recognition of the quality and competence of a laboratory’s activities in line with international standards.

A microbiological test that determines whether bacteria are susceptible or resistant to an antibiotic.

Laboratory practices that prevent the contamination of equipment, growth media and the workplace by unwanted microorganisms.

The measures taken to ensure that people and/or the environment are not unintentionally exposed to potentially infectious agents or toxins.

The measures taken to ensure that people are not intentionally or unintentionally exposed to hazardous organisms or toxins.

A process whereby the accuracy of a piece of equipment or an instrument is compared with that of a known standard and adjusted, if necessary, to have the same value(s).

A US-based organisation that promotes international laboratory standards and guidelines for performing antibiotic susceptibility tests.

Maintaining and further developing the knowledge and skills required for your role in the workplace.

A check included in a laboratory test to confirm that the test works as expected.

A Europe-based organisation that promotes international laboratory standards and guidelines for performing antibiotic susceptibility tests.

A method that allows testing conducted by a laboratory to be compared to that of a source outside the laboratory, usually a reference laboratory.

An international body that has developed international quality standards for microbiological laboratories.

A four-step model for the continuous improvement of laboratory processes.

The evaluation of participant performance against pre-established criteria by means of interlaboratory comparisons.

A set of activities to monitor the overall testing process. It includes the handling, processing and analysis of samples.

The monitoring of an individual test or process to ensure that quality requirements are being met.

Observations such as statistics or data used to determine the performance of a process.

A set of activities to develop, document and implement continual improvement of the overall process through regular management reviews, as well as corrective and preventive action.

Twelve topics essential for quality management of public health and clinical laboratories, as defined by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).

A document that details how routine laboratory processes and procedures should be performed.