From SOPs to Citations: How Inspectors Evaluate Your Lab’s Quality Program

Operating with quality at the forefront in clinical laboratories is not just a best practice; it is a regulatory expectation. Whether your lab is inspected under CLIA, CAP, or COLA, surveyors are not simply asking whether you have a quality assurance plan. They are evaluating whether your lab is actively tracking, documenting, and acting on the metrics that define it.

In this educational webinar, Dr. Melissa Bell, DCLS, of Lighthouse Lab Services, will walk through how inspectors assess lab quality programs in real-world settings. Drawing on regulatory frameworks and field experience, this session will highlight what surveyors prioritize, where labs commonly fall short, and how to align your quality systems with inspection expectations.

From QC documentation and proficiency testing to corrective actions and quality monitors, attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how quality is evaluated across the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of testing. This session will highlight why inspection readiness depends on consistent documentation and follow-through, as opposed to simply maintaining written policies.

Learning objectives:
• Understand how CAP, CLIA, and COLA inspectors evaluate laboratory quality systems
• Identify the most common quality-related deficiencies and why they occur
• Learn what documentation and records inspectors expect to review during surveys
• Explore how to align QA plans with day-to-day lab operations and metrics tracking
• Apply practical strategies to improve inspection readiness and avoid citations

This session is designed for:

-Lab Owners and Stakeholders
-Lab Managers
-Quality Supervisors
-Pathologists
-Lab Consultants
-Bench-Level Scientists and Techs