Survey-Defined and Interview-Elicited Challenges That Faced Ethiopian Government Hospital Laboratories as They Applied ISO 15189 Accreditation Standards in Resource-Constrained Settings in 2017

Girma, Mekonnen; Desale, Adinew; Hassen, Fatuma; Sisay, Abay; Tsegaye, Aster

doi:10.1093/ajcp/aqy049

Cited by 10 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The most important aspect of pursuing accreditation is good teamwork and to encourage laboratory personnel on possibilities to enhance the work done. 49 The communication system put in place for improvement plans and related goals must include all laboratory personnel. This can be implemented by having frequent staff meetings and sharing meeting minutes with those who did not attend the meetings.…”

Section: Effective Continual Improvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most sub-Saharan African public sector laboratories, to varying extents, have failed the accreditation process. 49 The survey-defined and interviewelicited challenges that faced Ethiopian government laboratories as they apply IS0 15189 showed that all laboratory heads agreed that poor-quality equipment had obstructed the accreditation process. 49 Loss of accreditation occurs in many ways; either voluntarily, imposed by the accreditation body or partial suspension whereby only part of the scope of accreditation is suspended voluntarily or by the accreditation body.…”

Section: Loss Of Accreditationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…49 The survey-defined and interviewelicited challenges that faced Ethiopian government laboratories as they apply IS0 15189 showed that all laboratory heads agreed that poor-quality equipment had obstructed the accreditation process. 49 Loss of accreditation occurs in many ways; either voluntarily, imposed by the accreditation body or partial suspension whereby only part of the scope of accreditation is suspended voluntarily or by the accreditation body. 50,51 The rate of laboratories losing accreditation or withdrawing accreditation is still lower when compared to those that are accredited and still maintaining their accreditation (Figure 4).…”

Section: Loss Of Accreditationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…50 In addition, high turnover of trained and experienced laboratory staff could have adversely affected the accreditation process. 49 In such a case, the laboratory will then communicate with the accreditation body in writing and ask for voluntary suspension. 50 During 2019, of approximately 442 accredited laboratories on the SANAS database, only 2.71% were suspended (Figure 5).…”

Section: Voluntary Suspensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It provides formal recognition that laboratories are competent, impartial and independent, therefore providing a ready means for customers to identify and select reliable testing, measurement and calibration services that can meet their needs internationally. 49…”

Section: Global Trustmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

An overview of medical diagnostic laboratories in South Africa that meet the international standard of accreditation: ISO 15189

Khadambi-Morokane

Bhowan

Ayuk

2021

The Journal of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology of Sou

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Accreditation is an official recognition that a facility or laboratory is competent to perform specific tasks and has a documented manual on a Quality Management System (QMS) in place. According to the Accreditation Act 19 of 2006, South African National Accreditation Systems (SANAS) is the only internationally recognised accreditation body in South Africa. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard specifically for medical laboratory accreditation is ISO 15189:2012. This review is designed to bring awareness of accredited and unaccredited medical diagnostic laboratories in SA; to look at the number of accredited, unaccredited laboratories and the rate of accreditation growth; to examine the state of accreditation in South Africa with regard to how many are accredited, suspended or withdrawn; and to highlight the advantages of being an accredited laboratory. It also examines the nonconformances commonly raised during assessment and an overview of accreditation around the world. Upon accreditation, the laboratory is given the right to use the SANAS symbol on patient request forms or results as a confirmation of competency. This has motivated more and more laboratories to be accredited. Diagnostic laboratories contribute much toward the final decisions taken by clinicians to diagnose the patients or treatment; this may be from an accredited or non-accredited laboratory. Since patient care is inextricably linked to pathology testing, every laboratory should engage a premium QMS and be evaluated by an accreditation body to ensure that patients receive a trustworthy report. Accreditation is a voluntary process in South Africa but mandatory in some Western countries. Although some laboratories might lose accreditation along the way, the ratio compared to those accredited is still very small. The fact that a majority remain accredited is a good indication of a well-implemented QMS. The challenges faced by the medical technologist-owned laboratories remain, as they are still not accredited.

show abstract

Section: Effective Continual Improvementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Loss Of Accreditationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Loss Of Accreditationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Voluntary Suspensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Global Trustmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

An overview of medical diagnostic laboratories in South Africa that meet the international standard of accreditation: ISO 15189

Khadambi-Morokane

Bhowan

Ayuk

2021

The Journal of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology of Sou

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Implementing laboratory quality management in Africa and central Asia: a model for healthcare improvement

Mateta

Procop²,

Mtotela

et al. 2022

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Optimized laboratory services are recognized as an integral part of high-quality healthcare delivery. However, these services are often unavailable or substandard in resource-limited countries. The implementation of quality management systems (QMSs) in the laboratory can transform laboratory services and ultimately improve patient care in these settings. Methods The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, through its Global Health Partnerships (GHP) program, has intervened in 32 laboratories to implement QMSs and improve performance. Standardized checklists were used before and after the structured intervention to quantify the impact of this program. Results QMS implementation resulted in a statistically significant improvement in overall mean checklist scores. All participating laboratories demonstrated improvement in their quality and performance, with 13 laboratories achieving national accreditation within the time frame of this study. Conclusion A structured program that utilizes well-recognized, standardized checklists and has leadership and laboratory team support, professional training with onsite guidance (i.e. train the trainer) and access to professionals experienced with QMS implementation and maintenance can lead to significant improvements in quality in resource-limited countries.

show abstract

Patients’ satisfaction and quality of clinical laboratory services provision at public health facilities in northeast Ethiopia

Abebe¹,

Hassen²,

Temesgen³

2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Patient satisfaction is a key element of quality measures that has increasingly become acknowledged as an important tool for service improvement. This study aimed to assess the level of patients' satisfaction and associated factors with clinical laboratory services provided at public health facilities. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May-June 2019 among clients attending 24 health centers and 8 hospitals, northeast Ethiopia. A total of 502 patients were selected using systematic random sampling. Patient's satisfaction towards multiple aspects of laboratory services was assessed using structured exit interview questionnaire, on a rating scale of 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 points (very satisfied). We assessed test availability and laboratory practices using facility inventory, stepwise accreditation audit checklist and blinded slide rechecking. Data were entered and analyzed using EpiData ver3.1 and STATA ver14.1. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of factors with overall satisfaction. Overall, majority of the respondents (73.5%) were found to be satisfied. Lowest mean ratings were obtained for waiting area (3.3), and information provided on specimen collection (3.5) and on how and when to receive results (3.7). Patients were more likely to be satisfied in health centers (75.2%) than in hospitals (68.6%) (AOR=1.9, 95%CI: 1.0-3.6, p=0.036). Patients' timely receipt of results (p=0.005) and laboratories' accuracy of results (p< 0.025) also showed significant positive associations with satisfaction. In conclusion, there were specific areas of deficiency that were driving dissatisfaction, particularly in the larger hospital laboratories. Therefore, more and balanced emphasis should be given to the patients' experiences, alongside technical quality improvements, to reduce the disparities and enhance the overall quality of care.

show abstract

Survey-Defined and Interview-Elicited Challenges That Faced Ethiopian Government Hospital Laboratories as They Applied ISO 15189 Accreditation Standards in Resource-Constrained Settings in 2017

Abstract: The survey and interviews specified nine major challenges for Ethiopian government hospital laboratories that seriously obstruct meeting ISO 15189 demands.

Cited by 10 publications

References 16 publications

An overview of medical diagnostic laboratories in South Africa that meet the international standard of accreditation: ISO 15189

An overview of medical diagnostic laboratories in South Africa that meet the international standard of accreditation: ISO 15189

Implementing laboratory quality management in Africa and central Asia: a model for healthcare improvement

Patients’ satisfaction and quality of clinical laboratory services provision at public health facilities in northeast Ethiopia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About