ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence
ISO 15189:2022 (4th edition) specifies requirements for quality and competence in medical (clinical) laboratories. It covers examination processes (pre-examination, examination, post-examination), quality management systems, and resource requirements specific to medical laboratories. Applicable to clinical chemistry, haematology, microbiology, pathology, immunology, and other medical laboratory disciplines. Accreditation to ISO 15189 is increasingly required by healthcare regulators and insurers. The 2022 revision introduces risk-based thinking and aligns with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 structure.
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Framework Domains (5)
Clause 4: General Requirements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO-15189-4.1 | Impartiality |
| ISO-15189-4.2 | Confidentiality |
| ISO-15189-4.3 | Requirements regarding patients |
| ISO-17025-4.1 | Impartiality |
| ISO-17025-4.2 | Confidentiality |
Clause 5: Structural and Governance Requirements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO-15189-5.1 | Legal entity |
| ISO-15189-5.2 | Laboratory director |
| ISO-15189-5.3 | Laboratory activities |
| ISO-15189-5.4 | Structure and authority |
| ISO-15189-5.5 | Objectives and policies |
| ISO-15189-5.6 | Risk management |
Clause 6: Resource Requirements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| 27006-6.1 | Competence of personnel |
| 27006-6.2 | Personnel involved in certification |
| ISO-15189-6.1 | General |
| ISO-15189-6.2 | Personnel |
| ISO-15189-6.3 | Facilities and environmental conditions |
| ISO-15189-6.4 | Equipment |
| ISO-15189-6.5 | Equipment calibration and metrological traceability |
| ISO-15189-6.6 | Reagents and consumables |
| ISO-15189-6.7 | Service agreements |
| ISO-15189-6.8 | Externally provided products and services |
| ISO-17025-6.1 | General |
| ISO-17025-6.2 | Personnel |
| ISO-17025-6.3 | Facilities and environmental conditions |
| ISO-17025-6.4 | Equipment |
| ISO-17025-6.5 | Metrological traceability |
| ISO-17025-6.6 | Externally provided products and services |
Clause 7: Process Requirements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO-15189-7.1 | General |
| ISO-15189-7.2 | Pre-examination processes |
| ISO-15189-7.3 | Examination processes |
| ISO-15189-7.4 | Post-examination processes |
| ISO-15189-7.5 | Nonconforming work |
| ISO-15189-7.6 | Data and information management |
| ISO-15189-7.7 | Complaints |
| ISO-15189-7.8 | Continuity and emergency preparedness |
| ISO-17025-7.1 | Review of requests, tenders and contracts |
| ISO-17025-7.10 | Nonconforming work |
| ISO-17025-7.11 | Control of data and information management |
| ISO-17025-7.2 | Selection, verification and validation of methods |
| ISO-17025-7.3 | Sampling |
| ISO-17025-7.4 | Handling of test or calibration items |
| ISO-17025-7.5 | Technical records |
| ISO-17025-7.6 | Evaluation of measurement uncertainty |
| ISO-17025-7.7 | Ensuring the validity of results |
| ISO-17025-7.8 | Reporting of results |
| ISO-17025-7.9 | Complaints |
Clause 8: Management System Requirements
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| ISO-15189-8.1 | General requirements |
| ISO-15189-8.2 | Management system documentation |
| ISO-15189-8.3 | Control of documents |
| ISO-15189-8.4 | Control of records |
| ISO-15189-8.5 | Actions addressing risks and opportunities |
| ISO-15189-8.6 | Improvement |
| ISO-15189-8.7 | Nonconformities and corrective actions |
| ISO-15189-8.8 | Evaluations |
| ISO-15189-8.9 | Management reviews |
| ISO-17025-8.1 | Options |
| ISO-17025-8.2 | Management system documentation |
| ISO-17025-8.3 | Control of management system documents |
| ISO-17025-8.4 | Control of records |
| ISO-17025-8.5 | Actions to address risks and opportunities |
| ISO-17025-8.6 | Improvement |
| ISO-17025-8.7 | Corrective actions |
| ISO-17025-8.8 | Internal audits |
| ISO-17025-8.9 | Management reviews |
Maps to 545 other frameworks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence?
ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence is a compliance framework from International (ISO) with 5 domains and 64 controls. ISO 15189:2022 (4th edition) specifies requirements for quality and competence in medical (clinical) laboratories. It covers examination processes (pre-examination, examination, post-examination), quality management systems, and resource requirements specific to medical laboratories. Applicable to clinical chemistry, haematology, microbiology, pathology, immunology, and other medical laboratory disciplines. Accreditation to ISO 15189 is increasingly required by healthcare regulators and insurers. The 2022 revision introduces risk-based thinking and aligns with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 structure. It is used by organisations to establish and maintain compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements.
How many controls does ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence have?
ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence has 64 controls organised across 5 domains. The largest domains are Clause 7: Process Requirements (19 controls), Clause 8: Management System Requirements (18 controls), Clause 6: Resource Requirements (16 controls). Each control defines specific requirements that organisations must implement to achieve compliance.
What frameworks does ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence map to?
ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence maps to 545 other compliance frameworks. The top mapping partners are FDA Quality Management System Regulation (QMSR) (20% coverage), PIC/S Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice for Medicinal Products (20% coverage), NIST SP 800-171A Rev 3 — Assessing CUI Security Requirements (19% coverage). Use our comparison tool to explore control-level mappings between frameworks.
How do I get started with ISO 15189:2022 — Medical Laboratories Requirements for Quality and Competence compliance?
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