Laboratory System Improvement Program

Laboratory System Improvement Program 
Promoting System Improvement

APHL offers technical assistance, a User’s Guide with toolkit and training to help states perform assessments that lead to improvement of public health laboratory systems.

The Laboratory System Improvement Program (L-SIP) -- formerly known as the State Public Health Laboratory Systems Performance Standards Program -- targets improvement of the public health laboratory system through the collaborative work of partners to:

  • Assess system performance
  • Plan for system improvements
  • Implement Improvement strategies
  • Periodically evaluate and re-assess

Like the CDC program NPHPSP, the APHL program sets its performance standards within the framework of the 10 essential public health services to provide:

  • A guide for states to improve public health laboratory systems—an incentive for laboratories to reach for “gold” standards
  • A means to strengthen collaboration among participants in the public health laboratory system
  • An effective way to educate system partners and elected officials about the system and laboratory services
  • A practical tool to help identify areas in need of advocacy and increased resources
  • A means to help formalize the national laboratory system—to include veterinary, agricultural and environmental laboratories
  • A source of baseline data to support accreditation

View and share this flyer about L-SIP.

Implementation

Several states (see map) have completed the L-SIP assessment.

L-SIP is now available to all state public health laboratory systems. Materials and information that support the program, for those that are considering or planning to convene an assessment, can be found in the toolkit.

Online Resource Center

APHL's Online Resource Center offers a resource for performance improvement of the public health laboratory system.

L-SIP Update

The L-SIP Update is a newsletter that will be published three times a year for states that have completed or are interested in participating in the Laboratory System Improvement Program.