APHL 2018 Annual Meeting Poster Abstracts
Program (GLLP). The goal of this partnership is to ensure a One
Health approach to laboratory leadership training and to promote
coordination and cooperation between all components of a
country’s health laboratory system. The Competency Framework
provides a comprehensive standardized outline of the knowledge,
skills and abilities needed to manage and lead a national laboratory
system (or one of its major components) and the training package
includes core course materials for inclusion in a curriculum
designed for specific country needs. By developing strong laboratory
professionals to lead their laboratories or laboratory systems to
the next level, this international partnership encompassing all One
Health disciplines is committed to support countries’ laboratory
systems to meet the critical Global Health Security demands.
Presenter: Jocelyn Isadore, Public Health Works, LLC, Holliston, MA,
Phone: 508.446.4097, Email: [email protected]
Strengthening Clinical and Veterinary Laboratory Systems
and Capacity in Cambodia Through Mentoring and Training
N. Ndefru 1 , P. Sadate-Ngatchou 1 , S.K. Ong 2 , S. Sek 2 , S. Song 2 , S.
Sokunna 3 , M. Uch 3 , O. Kimsan 3 , S. Sam 3 , L. Perrone 1 ; 1 I-TECH,
University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2 I-TECH, Cambodia,
3
Department of Hospital Services
Background: In resource-limited countries, poor laboratory quality
has been documented to have a negative impact on health care
systems. I-TECH with financial support from DTRA implemented
a mentored laboratory quality stepwise implementation (LQSI)
and training program to strengthen the quality and capacity of
infectious disease diagnosis and surveillance in 12 national and
provincial clinical laboratories across Cambodia in August 2014–
March 2016. All 12 laboratories established the foundational
practices of a quality management system and improved their
operations. In September 2017, after an 18-month hiatus, I-TECH
resumed the mentoring program to continue implementation of
quality management system (QMS) at the 12 previously supported
laboratories.
Methods: In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, I-TECH trained
select laboratory mentors to be quality auditors. Prior to the start
of QMS activities, the auditors conducted baseline assessments of
the program laboratories using the SLIPTA checklist from Dec 2017
to Jan 2018. A national dissemination meeting was held to share
the audit results and communicate the national vision and goals for
laboratory services and quality.
Findings: Overall, the average audit score was 38%, with scores
ranging from 23 % to 65%. The laboratories performed strongest in
information management and facilities and maintenance sections
where the average scores were 67% and 53% respectively. The
weakest performance was registered for corrective actions where
the average score was 7%, followed by occurrence management
where the average scored was 9%. Half of the laboratories scored
0% in these sections. The average score for management review
was 11% followed by evaluations and audits with an average score
of 12%. Lessons learned: Evidence from the baseline audits suggest
that when the LQSI program stopped in 2016, most of the quality
improvement efforts in the laboratories stalled as evidenced by
the lack of documented corrective actions, internal audit reports
and laboratory meeting minutes in 83% of the laboratories.
Regular on-site mentoring allowed staff to learn concepts of
quality management; however, building a culture of quality in
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LAB MATTERS Summer 2018
the early stages of QMS implementation requires continuous
support for effective adoption and implementation of proposed
recommendations effectively.
Next steps: Results from the assessments will inform strategies
that I-TECH mentors use to customize corrective action plans for
each laboratory. Mentors will use the LQSI tool to routinely monitor
progress for quality improvement initiatives in 12 laboratories.
Quarterly dissemination meetings will be held to strengthen
accountability and engagement. The laboratories will have follow up
assessments in a year.
Presenter: Nayah Ndefru, University of Washington, I-TECH,
Seattle, WA, Email: [email protected]
Development of a National Strategic Plan 2017–2020
for the Laboratory System in Côte D’Ivoire
P. Sadate-Ngatchou 1 , N.D. Van Cauwelaert 1 , A. Korn 1 , L. Traore 2 J.
Antilla 1 , G. Loukou 3 , A. Kourouma 3 , A.S. Amari 4 , B. Nicola 1 , R. Martin
1
, L. Perrone 1 ; 1 University of Washington, I-TECH, Seattle, WA, 2 I-TECH
Cote D’Ivoire, 3 Laboratoire National de Sante Publique, 4 Direction
de La Pharmacie Des Medicaments et Laboratoires, 5 University of
Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA
Strong laboratory system governance requires committed leaders
and clear guidelines and strategic plans to guide national priorities
and proce