The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently approved an electronic version of the five-part paper custody and control form (CCF). It is believed that the electronic custody and control form (ECCF) will improve quality by reducing errors and eliminating failures. Federal and non-federal benefits include the elimination of paperwork errors related to corrections or missing information; improved information accuracy; accurate, secure and expedited distribution of CCF copies; the elimination of collection sites to store paper CCFs; the elimination of “altered” CCFs and associated errors; and an overall “greener” option. Before an ECCF approval is given, each laboratory must submit a plan that includes specific information, including a process overview and a system security plan, among other details.

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