Infectious Disease Program: Continuously Evolving to Bolster Public Health

The CAP introduced its first infectious disease testing survey program in 1989, 40 years after launching its PT survey program in 1949. Over the past 35 years, the CAP has led the way in developing new programs to ensure the quality and accuracy of laboratory testing for infectious diseases, including SARS CoV-2, Zika testing, and testing for molecular microbiology multiplex panels. In this CAPcast episode, Drs. Christine Wojewoda and Daniel Rhoads, Chair and Vice Chair of the CAP’s Microbiology Committee, discuss how the program has evolved over the years, its impact on public health, including the historic COVID-19 pandemic, and what future directions the program is focusing on to ensure that patients continue to receive accurate infectious disease test results. This episode is part of a CAPcast series highlighting the CAP’s proficiency testing program, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024.