This book is specially useful for the laboratories preparing Quality Manual as per ISO 17025-2017 Lab Quality Management System. It includes the index, release authorisation, amendment sheet, explanation of how lab complies with clause requirements, references to procedures and records for each clause as an evidence. The book is also useful to all the professionals associated with laboratory quality management as reference for preparing the lab for accreditation.

Laboratory accreditation has assumed immense importance in recent years because of the need to assure the customer that the laboratory is capable of providing the valid test results reliably. ISO 17025:2017 Lab Quality Management System has become part of the requirement of all the laboratories, small to large. Over the years, ISO 17025:2017 Lab Quality Management System has evolved, as per the laboratory and customer requirements, and has become very important for improving laboratory systems and processes in order to sustain competitive advantages. This book focuses on requirements and key features of ISO 17025:2017 Lab Quality Management System such as risk-based thinking, PDCA approach, process management, and continual improvement. The readers would find it easier to understand the standard requirements and implement these in their work place.

Achieving, maintaining and improving accuracy, timeliness and reliability are major challenges for health laboratories. Countries worldwide committed themselves to build national capacities for the detection of, and response to, public health events of international concern when they decided to engage in the International Health Regulations implementation process. Only sound management of quality in health laboratories will enable countries to produce test results that the international community will trust in cases of international emergency. This handbook was developed through collaboration between the WHO Lyon Office for National Epidemic Preparedness and Response, the United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Laboratory Systems, and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). It is based on training sessions and modules provided by the CDC and WHO in more than 25 countries, and on guidelines for implementation of ISO 15189 in diagnostic laboratories, developed by CLSI. This handbook is intended to provide a comprehensive reference on Laboratory Quality Management System for all stakeholders in health laboratory processes, from management, to administration, to bench-work laboratorians. This handbook covers topics that are essential for quality management of a public health or clinical laboratory. They are based on both ISO 15189 and CLSI GP26-A3 documents. Each topic is discussed in a separate chapter. The chapters follow the framework developed by CLSI and are organized as the "12 Quality System Essentials".

The handbook is structured to guide organizations new to ISO 9001 through the process necessary to connect their current practices to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015. For organizations already certified to ISO 9001, it advises how to use your upgrade to ISO 9001:2015 as an opportunity to rebuild your QMS into a helpful asset in managing your business.

When is it appropriate to return individual research results to participants? The immense interest in this question has been fostered by the growing movement toward greater transparency and participant engagement in the research enterprise. Yet, the risks of returning individual research resultsâ€"such as results with unknown validityâ€"and the associated burdens on the research enterprise are competing considerations. Returning Individual Research Results to Participants reviews the current evidence on the benefits, harms, and costs of returning individual research results, while also considering the ethical, social, operational, and regulatory aspects of the practice. This report includes 12 recommendations directed to various stakeholdersâ€"investigators, sponsors, research institutions, institutional review boards (IRBs), regulators, and participantsâ€"and are designed to help (1) support decision making regarding the return of results on a study-by-study basis, (2) promote high-quality individual research results, (3) foster participant understanding of individual research results, and (4) revise and harmonize current regulations.