As more laboratories begin to provide diagnostic services for chlamydial infec-tions, the development of an infrastructure for laboratory quality assurance is increasingly important. Federal and state regulatory agencies that monitor quality assurance and quality control may have additional requirements and should be consulted for specific information. In addition, CLIA recommends that laboratories enroll in proficiency testing programs, such as those provided by the College of American Pathologists and the American Proficiency Institute. These quality assurance measures are especially im-portant when a laboratory implements a new test method.
Training is recommended for the performance of all laboratory tests for chlamydia.
All clinicians, particularly new providers of chlamydia testing services, should be trained in order to obtain adequate specimens. This site produced by the Journal of the American Medical Association with support from Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical and Advanced Care Products. All rights reserved.