After the enactment of CLIA, what percentage did the total number of quality deficiencies decrease by from the first to the second laboratory survey?

The correct answer is a decrease of 40% in the total number of quality deficiencies from the first to the second laboratory survey following the enactment of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA). This statistic highlights the effectiveness of CLIA in enhancing laboratory standards and practices aimed at improving patient safety and the reliability of laboratory test results.

CLIA established regulations that laboratories must follow, promoting high-quality testing and addressing deficiencies identified in early surveys. The significant reduction in quality deficiencies reflects how the regulations put in place helped laboratories to adopt better practices and operational improvements between the two surveys.

Overall, understanding the impact of CLIA on laboratory quality is essential, as it underscored the importance of compliance and the role of regulations in healthcare quality enhancement.