The clinical laboratory improvement amendment: how it applies to the use of urine dipsticks in the long-term care facility

The urine dipstick is one of the waived tests that is used in the long-term care facility under guidelines of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA). Through recent surveys, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversee this program, have identified significant problems in many testing sites. Because of the magnitude of the problem, the surveys will be continued. To comply with CLIA guidelines and safely and appropriately use the urine dipstick in the long-term care facility, nurses need to be aware of these guidelines. The purpose of this article is to discuss CLIA requirements regarding waived tests, specifically the urine dipstick, in the long-term care facility.