About the Division of Laboratory Systems

Key points

  • The Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS) advances the quality and safety of clinical and public health laboratory testing and services nationwide.
  • Advancing laboratory systems improves public health, patient outcomes, and health equity.

Purpose

Vision

Exemplary laboratory practice and systems strengthen clinical care, public health, emergency response, and health equity.

Mission

Improve public health, patient outcomes, and health equity by advancing laboratory systems.

Did you know

  • There are over 330,000 Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified laboratories in the United States.
  • 70% of today's medical decisions depend on 14 billion laboratory tests conducted annually.
  • Experts estimate that 40,000–80,000 deaths occur annually from preventable diagnostic errors.

Priorities

Quality and safety

The Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS) advances the quality and safety of clinical and public health laboratory testing and services nationwide. DLS fosters the development of laboratory standards and guidelines and supports regulatory programs. DLS works in partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by providing scientific and technical expertise for the CLIA program.

Keep Reading: About Quality and Safety Systems

Informatics and data science

DLS enhances public health surveillance and response by strengthening the exchange of laboratory data between organizations and systems, and conducting analyses of large laboratory-based datasets. DLS also operates the CDC Biorepository, which preserves valuable specimen collections for public health surveillance, advancing diagnostic and medical research, and supporting emergency responses.

Keep Reading: About Informatics and Data Science

Training and workforce development

DLS works to improve the knowledge, competency, reliability, and sustainability of the clinical and public health laboratory workforce nationwide. Specifically, DLS supports the clinical and public health laboratory workforce through the development of training products and resources and implementation of competency guidelines for public health laboratory professionals.

Keep Reading: About Training and Workforce Development

Strategic framework 2023–2025

Learn about the division's strategic framework, which will guide its work to advance quality and safety systems, informatics and data science, and training and workforce development.

Keep Reading: DLS Strategic Framework

Funded partners

ABSA (American Biological Safety Association) International
Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (formerly American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
American Clinical Laboratory Association
American Society for Microbiology
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute
College of American Pathologists
Food and Drug Administration
Public Health Informatics Institute

Publications

The incidence of diagnostic error in medicine1

Counting Deaths Due to Medical Errors—Reply2

25-year summary of US malpractice claims for diagnostic errors 1986-2000: an analysis from the National Practitioner Bank3

Diagnostic errors in the intensive care unit: a systematic review of autopsy studies4

Print
Content Source:
  1. Graber ML, "The incidence of diagnostic error in medicine," BMJ Qual Saf 2013;22:ii21-ii27.
  2. Leape LL, Berwick DM, and Bates DW, "Counting Deaths Due to Medical Errors—Reply," JAMA 2002;288(19):2405.
  3. Tehrani, AS Saber, et al., "25-year summary of US malpractice claims for diagnostic errors 1986-2000: an analysis from the National Practitioner Bank," BMJ Qual Saf, 22, 672-680 (2013).
  4. Winters B, et al. "Diagnostic errors in the intensive care unit: a systematic review of autopsy studies," BMJ Qual Saf 2012;21:894–902.