[Histonet] IHC negative controls

[Morken, Timothy]

" Can anyone tell me if JHACO & CLIA are deferring to CAP's judgment that a negative control is not needed when utilizing a polymer detection?
 
I assume that this is the case, but I'd like to be sure."


Short answer: 

Don't bet the farm on it. Each enforces CLIA regulations but have different methods of doing so. There is no reason to think that  JC or CAP will defer to the other in any particular situation. They really don't have anything to do with one another. My experience is that CAP is more lab-method oriented while JC is more total-process (patient admission to final result ) oriented.  

Long answer: 

Let's clarify this. CLIA is the law administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Joint Commission and CAP are two different, independent accrediting agencies deemed by CMS to enforce the CLIA regulations. CMS/ CLIA does not "defer" to CAP or JC, rather CMS deems JC and CAP to be their agent to accredit laboratories according to the CLIA law.  CAP and JC cannot enforce anything without CMS/CLIA approval. The fact that CAP allows labs to leave out negative controls in certain situations may be approved by CMS/ CLIA regulators, but it does not follow that CLIA or JC inspectors will follow the same rational. JC is totally independent and can make their own interpretation of the CLIA regulations, which CMS can approve, even if they are different than what CAP allows, as long as it is within the scope of the CLIA regulations. JC can simply interpret it differently and require negative controls (I don't know if that is the case; I haven't yet looked over the new checklist this year).  

Tim Morken
Department of Pathology
UC San Francisco Medical Center


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Glen Dawson
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2012 6:45 AM
To: histonet
Subject: [Histonet] IHC negative controls


All,
 
Can anyone tell me if JHACO & CLIA are deferring to CAP's judgement that a negative control is not needed when utilizing a polymer detection?
 
I assume that this is the case, but I'd like to be sure.
 
Thank-you in advance,
 
Glen Dawson  BS, HT(ASCP), QIHC
Histology Technical Specialist
Janesville, WI 		 	   		  _______________________________________________
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