[Guide for establishing and maintaining procedures for review of contracts between the medical laboratory and clients]. / Guide pour l'établissement et le suivi de contrats entre le laboratoire et ses clients.

The medical laboratory is providing services to the patients and clinicians, is a costumer for providers as manufacturers and partner for tierce parties as well. Contracts have to be established with the clients to define agreements and to ensure that the laboratory is able to meet the requirements of the regulation and of the standards. Contracts with partners involved in the processes shall be formally established (collaborative contract). This article includes different types of contracts to establish and control within a contract review.

[Recommendations for the evaluation and follow-up of the continuous quality improvement]. / Recommandations pour l'évaluation et le suivi de la démarche qualité.

Continual improvement of the quality in a medical laboratory is based on the implementation of tools for systematically evaluate the quality management system and its ability to meet the objectives defined. Monitoring through audit and management review, addressing complaints and nonconformities and performing client satisfaction survey are the key for the continual improvement.

[Post-examination phase: description and management control of the process]. / Description et maîtrise du processus post-analytique en biologie médicale.

This article defines the scope of the post-analytical process. This process transforms the results after quality control review into validated results, interpreted by authorized "medical biologists", reported and communicated to the clinicians and patients. This phase includes the treatment of the samples after analysis, their storage and disposal and records archiving. This phase is a key step of the examination involved often in dysfunctions that could hardly harm the patient. These errors are usually the consequence of failing in the control of organization, lack of communication with the clinicians and defect of adaptation to their needs. Examples of quality indicators are proposed, as well as a model of clinico-biological contract.

[Guidelines for results reports of biological examinations]. / Recommandations concernant la transmission des résultats d'examens de biologie médicale.

This article presents recommendations for results reports after release by authorized person to fulfill the French regulation and ISO 15189 requirements. This document points out who can be authorized to communicate the reports and to whom. The advantages and disadvantages of the different ways to use for results report are discussed, as traceability and confidentiality rules to apply. Particular situations as critical values to report and correction of transmitted erroneous results. A table summarizes the different modalities available to communicate the results of examinations performed by the laboratory.