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 Objectives The World Health Organization African Regional Office recommends ISO 15189 standards to improve performance quality in sub-Saharan African laboratories. We specify challenges Ethiopian laboratorians encountered applying ISO 15189 standards. Methods From a structured survey at 12...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of clinical pathology 2018-08, Vol.150 (4), p.303-309
Main Authors: Girma, Mekonnen, Desale, Adinew, Hassen, Fatuma, Sisay, Abay, Tsegaye, Aster
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accreditation
Accreditation - standards
Adult
Attitude of Health Personnel
Developing Countries
Ethiopia
Female
Health Care Surveys
Health Resources
Hospitals, Public - organization & administration
Hospitals, Public - standards
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Laboratories
Laboratories, Hospital - organization & administration
Laboratories, Hospital - standards
Male
Middle Aged
World Health Organization
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Summary:Abstract Objectives The World Health Organization African Regional Office recommends ISO 15189 standards to improve performance quality in sub-Saharan African laboratories. We specify challenges Ethiopian laboratorians encountered applying ISO 15189 standards. Methods From a structured survey at 12 Ethiopian government hospitals, 175 laboratory staff replied; all were aware of the ISO standards and 138 had been involved in the ISO 15189 inspection process. In addition, 11 laboratory heads, 10 quality officers, and three medical directors were interviewed in depth. Results Half or more respondents identified six challenges obstructing accreditation to a “large” or “very large” degree: (1) low management support, (2) inadequate training, (3) insufficient infrastructure, (4) excessive documentation, (5) little mentorship, and (6) increased accreditation-related workload. Interviewees added (7) poor equipment, (8) unavailable/poor-quality reagents, and (9) high staff turnover. Conclusions The survey and interviews specified nine major challenges for Ethiopian government hospital laboratories that seriously obstruct meeting ISO 15189 demands.
ISSN:0002-9173
1943-7722
DOI:10.1093/ajcp/aqy049