SummaryDuring the 20th century understanding for quality has changed and international and national requirements for quality have been published. Therefore also medical branches started to establish quality management systems. Quality assurance has always been important for medical laboratories. Certification according to the standard ISO 9001 and accreditation according to the standard ISO 17025 have been the proof of fulfilling quality requirements. The relatively new standard ISO 15189 is the first standard for medical laboratories. This standard includes technical and management requirements for the medical laboratory. The main focus is the proof of competence within the personnel. As this standard is accepted throughout the European Union an increase in accreditations of medical laboratories is predictable.
