Review: Policies, procedures and guidelines for point-of-care testing

Appendix 2. Abbreviations.

Page last updated: 14 May 2013

AACB

Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists

AACC

American Association for Clinical Chemistry

ADA

American Diabetes Association

AETMIS

Agence d’evaluation des technologies et des modes d’intervention en santé  (Canada)

AS

Australian Standard, Standards Australia

BMA

British Medical Association

CAP

College of American Pathologists

CDC

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA)

CLIA

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments act (USA)

CLIAC

Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee (USA)

CLSI

Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (formally NCCLS)

CMS

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (USA)

COLA

Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation (USA)

COW

Certificate of waiver (USA)

CPA

Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) Ltd.

EBLM

Evidence-based laboratory medicine

EBM

Evidence-based medicine

EQA

External Quality Assessment or External Quality Assessment

FAD

Field Application Document (NATA document)

FDA

Food and Drug Administration (USA)

HbA1c

Haemoglobin A1c, glycated haemoglobin

HHS

USA, Department of Health and Human Services

iCCnet

Integrated Cardiovascular Clinical Network (South Australia)

INR

International Normalised Ratio, a derived measure of prothrombin time

IQC

Internal Quality Control or Quality Control (QC)

ISO

International Organisation for Standardisation

JC or TJC

The Joint Commission (formally JCAHO)

JCAHO

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (USA)

MSAC

Medical Services Advisory Committee

MU

Measurement Uncertainty (synonymous with UM, Uncertainty of Measurement)

NACB

National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry

NATA

National Association of Testing Authorities

NHMRC

National Health and Medical Research Council

NPAAC

National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council

NPT

Near patient testing, synonymous with POCT

PLAP

Pruebas en el lugar de asistencia al paciente  (Spanish for tests at the site of patient care)

POC

Point-of-care

POCT

Point-of-care testing

POL

Physicians Office Laboratory

QA

Quality Assurance or Quality Assessment

QAAMS

Quality Assurance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Services

QC

Quality Control or Internal Quality Control (IQC)

QM

Quality Management

RCPA

Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia

RCPath

Royal College of Pathologists (UK)

SEQC

Sociedad Española de Bioquímica Clínica y Patología Molecular (Spanish Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Pathology)

SOP

Standard Operating Procedure.  A written document or instruction detailing all steps and activities of a process or procedure.

UM

Uncertainty of Measurement (synonymous with MU, Measurement Uncertainty)

WHO

World Health Organisation