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Who pays for the cost of a site visit?
Random site visits are paid for by the ICAVL. Required site visit costs are the responsibility of the laboratory. The ICAVL and its site visitors make every attempt to keep these costs to a minimum.

Who performs the site visit?
Pools of individuals whom have been trained by the ICAVL primarily perform site visits. These individuals are located in various areas throughout the United States and are contacted to often carry out site visits in their region of the country. The ICAVL Director of Accreditation, Executive Director, and members of the ICAVL Board Of Directors also conduct site visits. Random site visits are generally performed by one individual, whereas required visits are performed by a team of two.

How will we know if our laboratory will be given a site visit?
The laboratory technical and medical directors will be informed of the necessity of a site visit in written correspondence from the ICAVL. An ICAVL staff member or a site visitor will contact the laboratory by telephone to schedule a mutually acceptable date for the site visit.

What do we need to do to prepare for the site visit?
The ICAVL will send the laboratory a letter that contains a schedule of what the site visitor(s) will be examining and observing during the course of the day. As well, the worksheets that the site visitors will use during the course of the visit will be sent to the laboratory, so that they can better understand what the site visitors will be reviewing.

It is also very important that the Medical and Technical Directors are available for interviews and closing discussions with the site visitor(s), and that there is patient testing scheduled to be done during the time that the site visitor(s) will be in the laboratory.

How long does a site visit last?
Typically the site visit will last for six to seven hours.

What happens after the site visit is complete?
After the site visit is complete, the site visitor(s) compile the findings and send them to the ICAVL. These findings are then reviewed by the ICAVL Board Of Directors at the next scheduled board meeting. Based upon these site visit findings and the results of the application review, the Board Of Directors will make their final accreditation decision. The lab will again receive written correspondence relaying the accreditation decisions. The laboratory could be granted accreditation at that time, and may be required to make some changes and submit some additional information documenting these changes and adherence, or there is the small chance that the accreditation may be denied.

The laboratory will also be asked to complete an evaluation of the site visit process and the site visitor(s). The ICAVL anticipates that the laboratory will take the time to answer this questionnaire and return it to the ICAVL office, so that the site visit and visitor(s) can be assessed. This allows the ICAVL to carefully evaluate its site visit policies and, if necessary, implement changes to improve the process.

Being informed that a site visit will be part of a laboratory's accreditation process can be a stressful addition to the application process. However, when remaining open to the suggestions rendered from the findings of a site visit, many laboratories find that it can be used as a learning tool that assists in improving laboratory function, performance, and quality of patient care. It is an example of another benefit of undergoing a peer review process that can ultimately improve the laboratory.