What is the L-SIP assessment?
The Laboratory System Improvement Program (L-SIP) is an assessment process developed by the APHL, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to initiate overall laboratory system improvements in state and local public health systems.
This program is based upon the CDC 10 Essential Public Health Services and APHL 11 core functions of public health laboratories, which all public health laboratory systems must fulfill.
Through the systematic analysis of these services and functions, the current breadth of laboratory system services was discussed and evaluated during the 2024 L-SIP assessment, allowing for collaboration among partners to identify strengths and improvement opportunities to better the system’s efficiency and effectiveness. These discussions helped inform an action plan for the laboratory system to improve current practices and better protect the residents of Massachusetts.
Who is involved?
To obtain an accurate assessment, system partner representatives were present to provide diverse feedback on the public health system practices in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Partners and organizations present at the L-SIP assessment included:
- Clinical Laboratories
- Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Teams
- Major Hospitals in Massachusetts
- Local Universities and Research Facilities
What are the results?
Through active and honest partner participation and systematic assessment, the program provided information and next steps to direct the laboratory system’s improvement efforts.
Some examples of next steps are:
- Strengthen partnerships across the public health system.
- Create a core group to guide responses to the identified deficiencies.
- Establish project-specific workgroups to assess laboratory systems resources.
- Develop a system-wide laboratory newsletter to improve communication.
- Implement new policies or procedures to streamline established processes.
The overall goal is to improve Essential Public Health Services (EPHS) for all communities in Massachusetts to provide high quality laboratory services that enable optimal health for all and seek to remove systemic and structural barriers that have may resulted in health inequities.
The Massachusetts L-SIP Assessment, September 2024
The Massachusetts L-SIP took place on September 9, 2024, and was organized through the leadership of the MA State Public Health Laboratory and the APHL. The report outlines the assessment process and proposed next steps, to serve as the basis for improvement efforts made within the Massachusetts laboratory system.
Downloads
Contact information
If you would like to learn about the L-SIP assessment and related updates, are interested in getting involved in the next steps of laboratory systems improvement, or have any questions, please fill out this form and we will follow up and reach out to you: SPHL L-SIP Information.
Additional information
- L-SIP details on APHL website: Laboratory Systems Improvement Program
- L-SIP Assessment Overview: L-SIP Fact Sheet (aphl.org)
- L-SIP Performance Measurement Tool: QS-2022-LSIP-Toolkit.pdf (aphl.org)