August 20, 1986
VA HANDBOOK 7610 (240)
1. Bulk Storage: Includes space for safety storage
cabinets for flammable and toxic substances.
a. OCS ............................................................................................................................................18.6 NSM (200 NSF)
b. OC ..............................................................................................................................................37.2 NSM (400 NSF)
2. Refrigerated Storage (Walk-In Cold Room):
a. OCS ............................................................................................................................................Not Required
b. OC ..............................................................................................................................................9.3 NSM (100 NSF)
(e) Housekeeping Aids Closet (HAC) .........................................................................................3.7 NSM ( 40 NSF)
5. OPERATING RATIONALE (BASIS OF CRITERIA)
a. Laboratory space is based on the Laboratory Clinical Activity Profile (LCAP), the Laboratory Functional
Activity/Staffing Checklist (LFAC) and laboratory administrative data developed by Pathology and Labort ory Medicine
Service in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Central Office.
(1) The Laboratory Clinical Activity Profile (LCAP)
LCAP was initially developed in 1983 by Pathology Service at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Central Office to
supplement the AMIS workload recording method as a management tool. It is comprised of four major activity groups, very
large (VL), large (L), medium (M) and small (S) laboratories.
Each peer group was determined by computerizing (clustering) the relatio nship between six major factors -medicine,
surgery and outpatient tests requested (90 percent of lab input), and chemistry, hematology and microbiology tests produces
(90 percent of lab output). This is known as the "Laboratory Clinical Activity Profile (LCAP)."
The LCAP is derived from data each laboratory submits to the RCS 140-141 for total test input from the medicine, surgery
and outpatient services. This overall classification scheme permits estimation of the amount of laboratory workload required
to support these three major clinical services. It should be noted that nearly 90 percent of all laboratory tests in any the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center are ordered by these services.
Since the LCAP is only a general classification system with wide workload ranges between the highest and lowest
laboratories, Pathology Service reclassified each major group into smaller peer groups which more closely resemble each other
based on their unweighted (raw count) laboratory test output. These peer groups generally cluster within 100,00-250,000
unweighted test units. This arrangement permits a closer comparison of each laboratory's workload with all other laboratories
having similar workload and clinical activity.
(2) The Laboratory Functional Activity/Staffing Check (LFAC)
The LFAC, which is generated by Pathology Service on an annual basis, was designed to generate a thorough analysis of
a laboratory's current and projected functional requirements. The LFAC is completed by the labora tory chief at the medical
center. It is a detailed questionnaire designed to provide the following information:
(a) The clinical user services (medicine, surgery, etc.) that are present and planned in the medical center.
(b) Other the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities (nursing home, domiciliary, etc.) serviced by the laboratory.
(c) Education affiliation agreements which currently exist with the laboratory.
(d) A complete list of all instruments that will be installed in each section o f the laboratory.
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