ISO/NP 20364

Guidance for healthcare organizations’ response to the surging diagnostic demands in a pandemic

Scope

This document provides guidance and considerations for a healthcare organization to deliver medical tests timely and accurately in a pandemic as follows:
a) threats encountered in providing diagnostic services during a pandemic;
b) general consideration to deliver a quality diagnostic service of the healthcare organization in a pandemic context;
c) recommendations for ensuring the quality assurance thru a collaborative network approach with the help of the advisory committee; and
d) possible response measures to the surge in diagnostic demand.
This document does not apply to the details for providing pandemic response medical tests such as the specimen collection protocols in the specimen collection units or screening stations (e.g., Walk-through or Drive-through), experiment procedures, and quality management systems of medical laboratories. Also, this document omits the pandemic responses related to the medical treatment of infected patients in the care units (e.g., emergency unit, in-patient unit) and transferring of confirmed patients in the healthcare organization during a pandemic.