Advancing quality in clinical laboratories: ISO 15189:2022 updates

30 Sept 2025

This white paper provides a comprehensive overview of the key updates introduced in ISO 15189:2022, the international standard for quality and competence in medical laboratories. It highlights the enhanced focus on risk management, integration of point-of-care testing, alignment with ISO 17025:2017, and a greater emphasis on patient-centric care. The document explains the necessity of robust internal and external quality controls for compliance, details methodologies for implementing these controls, and illustrates their impact on diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes through real-world case studies. It also offers practical strategies for achieving and maintaining regulatory compliance, emphasizing the critical role of continuous quality management in advancing laboratory standards and improving healthcare delivery.

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Clinical ChemistryBiochemistry (or clinical chemistry) involves the analysis of bodily fluids using chemical tests. Techniques used include HPLC, chromatography, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, immunochemical, electrophoresis, turbidometric / spectrophotometric assay, MRI and ISE analysis. Tests are often carried out on plasma or serum but urine (urinalysis) and fecal specimens are also processed.HematologyIn Haematology / Hematology, complete blood cell counts (or full blood counts) are obtained using automated blood count analyzers to enumerate blood cell types.  Hematology also encompasses haemostasis and coagulation, thrombophilia and hemophilia, plasma viscosity and ESR analysis, hemoglobinopathies, cell morphology and haematinic measurement.Clinical MicrobiologyMicrobiology is the study of microorganisms including protists, prokaryotes, fungi, and, often, viruses. Microorganisms are a useful research tool as genetic vectors and, in immunology, for antibiotic susceptibility testing, cellular biology and genetics. Microorganisms commonly grow readily in incubators with microbial culture media; this can contain chromogenic supplements to differentiate between cell lines. Estimate your culture’s density of microorganisms with colony counters, or screen and select colonies for desirable clones with automated colony pickers. Additionally, equipment is available to monitor environments for the presence of microbes and identify with microbial identification instruments. Find the best microbiology products in our peer-reviewed product directory: compare products, check customer reviews and receive pricing direct from manufacturers.Blood TransfusionBlood Transfusion involves giving donor blood to a recipient patient. Screening is essential to avoid transfusion reactions. Blood banks use immunohematological techniques to determine rh and ABO blood group, and screen for antibodies using specific antisera. Blood Banks use Direct Coombs Tests (DCT) and Indirect Coombs Tests (IAT) to detect hemolysis and Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN).CLINICAL24CLINICAL24 is a global conversation, hosted by SelectScience for the medical laboratory profession and all those that support it. The purpose of CLINICAL24 is to highlight current lab challenges, and to explore the technology solutions to overcome them.