A survey measuring the degree of model compliance plan for clinical laboratories implementation in small/rural hospital laboratories.

Abstract

The Office of the Inspector General published the Model Compliance Plan for Clinical Laboratories (MCPL) in February 1997. In March and April 1998, a survey of 200 Midwest hospital laboratory managers (hospital size < or = 200 beds) was performed to determine the degree to which their laboratories had implemented the various recommendations of the MCPL. Of the 200 surveys sent out, 76 were returned--a 38% response rate. Aspects of the survey were broken down into two categories: "Laboratory Manager Responsibility," those items that can be implemented independently by the laboratory manager; and "Administration Responsibility," those items requiring administration's direction. With the exception of rewriting job descriptions to include compliance issues, > or = 75% of the laboratory managers have implemented the items within their power.