Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals

Louis Nicas

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12

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Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals

Louis Nicas

Published in American Journal of Laboratory Medicine (Volume 8, Issue 3)

Received: 30 June 2023 Accepted: 2 August 2023 Published: 28 August 2023

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Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on the availability of reagents and controls at council hospitals in Arusha, Tanzania. Specifically, the study assessed the stakeholders’ participation in the program based on their knowledge and accessibility of the program guidelines, the availability of standardized laboratory equipment at the council hospital laboratories also assessed changes in the availability of the reagents and controls for the standardized equipment at the council hospitals’ laboratories. Purposive sampling and Simple random sampling were used to obtain the sample size for the study. The study randomly sampled 64 respondents from district hospitals where 5 District Medical Officers, 19 Laboratory Assistants, 3 Laboratory Scientists, 2 Medical Officer In charge, and 28 Laboratory Technologists were enrolled, also staff from the council health management team (CHMT) whereas 7 District Laboratory Technologist were also enrolled in the study. Quantitative data were collected using Questionnaire tools. Analysis of data was done using SPSS software to obtain descriptive information between different variables. Study findings revealed that there was inadequate knowledge among key stakeholders implementing the program as 51.5% Low; 43.75% moderate; and 4.6% High levels of knowledge. Stakeholder’s accessibility to the program Guideline was 15.60%, Council Hospital Accessibility to Standardized Laboratory Equipment was 90.60%, Accessibility and Affordability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls was 79.70%, and thus an overall increase in the availability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls at the Council Hospitals was 65.60%. The study further revealed that the standardization program had a positive impact on the availability of reagents and control at Council hospitals as participants revealed an increase in the availability of reagents in their laboratories, but for more improvement of the program, it recommended that dissemination of the Standardization Guideline to all key stakeholders as well as engaging them in the implementation so as to improve ownership and efficiency of the program. The study also recommends to the government to make policies and regulations that are in line with the standardized program as well as ensure standardization program reaches all health facilities, including private and faith-based organizations with the aim of improving overall laboratory services across the country.

Published in	American Journal of Laboratory Medicine (Volume 8, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12
Page(s)	35-50
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Evaluation, Standardization and Harmonization, Laboratory Equipment, Analyzer and Reagents and Controls

References

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APA Style

Louis Nicas. (2023). Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals. American Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 8(3), 35-50. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12

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ACS Style

Louis Nicas. Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals. Am. J. Lab. Med. 2023, 8(3), 35-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12

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AMA Style

Louis Nicas. Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals. Am J Lab Med. 2023;8(3):35-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12,
  author = {Louis Nicas},
  title = {Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals},
  journal = {American Journal of Laboratory Medicine},
  volume = {8},
  number = {3},
  pages = {35-50},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajlm.20230803.12},
  abstract = {This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on the availability of reagents and controls at council hospitals in Arusha, Tanzania. Specifically, the study assessed the stakeholders’ participation in the program based on their knowledge and accessibility of the program guidelines, the availability of standardized laboratory equipment at the council hospital laboratories also assessed changes in the availability of the reagents and controls for the standardized equipment at the council hospitals’ laboratories. Purposive sampling and Simple random sampling were used to obtain the sample size for the study. The study randomly sampled 64 respondents from district hospitals where 5 District Medical Officers, 19 Laboratory Assistants, 3 Laboratory Scientists, 2 Medical Officer In charge, and 28 Laboratory Technologists were enrolled, also staff from the council health management team (CHMT) whereas 7 District Laboratory Technologist were also enrolled in the study. Quantitative data were collected using Questionnaire tools. Analysis of data was done using SPSS software to obtain descriptive information between different variables. Study findings revealed that there was inadequate knowledge among key stakeholders implementing the program as 51.5% Low; 43.75% moderate; and 4.6% High levels of knowledge. Stakeholder’s accessibility to the program Guideline was 15.60%, Council Hospital Accessibility to Standardized Laboratory Equipment was 90.60%, Accessibility and Affordability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls was 79.70%, and thus an overall increase in the availability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls at the Council Hospitals was 65.60%. The study further revealed that the standardization program had a positive impact on the availability of reagents and control at Council hospitals as participants revealed an increase in the availability of reagents in their laboratories, but for more improvement of the program, it recommended that dissemination of the Standardization Guideline to all key stakeholders as well as engaging them in the implementation so as to improve ownership and efficiency of the program. The study also recommends to the government to make policies and regulations that are in line with the standardized program as well as ensure standardization program reaches all health facilities, including private and faith-based organizations with the aim of improving overall laboratory services across the country.},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals
AU  - Louis Nicas
Y1  - 2023/08/28
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12
T2  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
JF  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
JO  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
SP  - 35
EP  - 50
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-386X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12
AB  - This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on the availability of reagents and controls at council hospitals in Arusha, Tanzania. Specifically, the study assessed the stakeholders’ participation in the program based on their knowledge and accessibility of the program guidelines, the availability of standardized laboratory equipment at the council hospital laboratories also assessed changes in the availability of the reagents and controls for the standardized equipment at the council hospitals’ laboratories. Purposive sampling and Simple random sampling were used to obtain the sample size for the study. The study randomly sampled 64 respondents from district hospitals where 5 District Medical Officers, 19 Laboratory Assistants, 3 Laboratory Scientists, 2 Medical Officer In charge, and 28 Laboratory Technologists were enrolled, also staff from the council health management team (CHMT) whereas 7 District Laboratory Technologist were also enrolled in the study. Quantitative data were collected using Questionnaire tools. Analysis of data was done using SPSS software to obtain descriptive information between different variables. Study findings revealed that there was inadequate knowledge among key stakeholders implementing the program as 51.5% Low; 43.75% moderate; and 4.6% High levels of knowledge. Stakeholder’s accessibility to the program Guideline was 15.60%, Council Hospital Accessibility to Standardized Laboratory Equipment was 90.60%, Accessibility and Affordability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls was 79.70%, and thus an overall increase in the availability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls at the Council Hospitals was 65.60%. The study further revealed that the standardization program had a positive impact on the availability of reagents and control at Council hospitals as participants revealed an increase in the availability of reagents in their laboratories, but for more improvement of the program, it recommended that dissemination of the Standardization Guideline to all key stakeholders as well as engaging them in the implementation so as to improve ownership and efficiency of the program. The study also recommends to the government to make policies and regulations that are in line with the standardized program as well as ensure standardization program reaches all health facilities, including private and faith-based organizations with the aim of improving overall laboratory services across the country.
VL  - 8
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Louis Nicas

Diagnostics Section, Directorate of Health, President Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Dodoma, Tanzania

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Louis Nicas. (2023). Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals. American Journal of Laboratory Medicine, 8(3), 35-50. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12

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ACS Style

Louis Nicas. Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals. Am. J. Lab. Med. 2023, 8(3), 35-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12

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AMA Style

Louis Nicas. Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals. Am J Lab Med. 2023;8(3):35-50. doi: 10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12

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@article{10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12,
  author = {Louis Nicas},
  title = {Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals},
  journal = {American Journal of Laboratory Medicine},
  volume = {8},
  number = {3},
  pages = {35-50},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajlm.20230803.12},
  abstract = {This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on the availability of reagents and controls at council hospitals in Arusha, Tanzania. Specifically, the study assessed the stakeholders’ participation in the program based on their knowledge and accessibility of the program guidelines, the availability of standardized laboratory equipment at the council hospital laboratories also assessed changes in the availability of the reagents and controls for the standardized equipment at the council hospitals’ laboratories. Purposive sampling and Simple random sampling were used to obtain the sample size for the study. The study randomly sampled 64 respondents from district hospitals where 5 District Medical Officers, 19 Laboratory Assistants, 3 Laboratory Scientists, 2 Medical Officer In charge, and 28 Laboratory Technologists were enrolled, also staff from the council health management team (CHMT) whereas 7 District Laboratory Technologist were also enrolled in the study. Quantitative data were collected using Questionnaire tools. Analysis of data was done using SPSS software to obtain descriptive information between different variables. Study findings revealed that there was inadequate knowledge among key stakeholders implementing the program as 51.5% Low; 43.75% moderate; and 4.6% High levels of knowledge. Stakeholder’s accessibility to the program Guideline was 15.60%, Council Hospital Accessibility to Standardized Laboratory Equipment was 90.60%, Accessibility and Affordability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls was 79.70%, and thus an overall increase in the availability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls at the Council Hospitals was 65.60%. The study further revealed that the standardization program had a positive impact on the availability of reagents and control at Council hospitals as participants revealed an increase in the availability of reagents in their laboratories, but for more improvement of the program, it recommended that dissemination of the Standardization Guideline to all key stakeholders as well as engaging them in the implementation so as to improve ownership and efficiency of the program. The study also recommends to the government to make policies and regulations that are in line with the standardized program as well as ensure standardization program reaches all health facilities, including private and faith-based organizations with the aim of improving overall laboratory services across the country.},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Evaluation of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on Availability of Reagents and Controls at Council Hospitals
AU  - Louis Nicas
Y1  - 2023/08/28
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12
T2  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
JF  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
JO  - American Journal of Laboratory Medicine
SP  - 35
EP  - 50
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-386X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajlm.20230803.12
AB  - This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Medical Laboratory Equipment Standardization and Harmonization Program on the availability of reagents and controls at council hospitals in Arusha, Tanzania. Specifically, the study assessed the stakeholders’ participation in the program based on their knowledge and accessibility of the program guidelines, the availability of standardized laboratory equipment at the council hospital laboratories also assessed changes in the availability of the reagents and controls for the standardized equipment at the council hospitals’ laboratories. Purposive sampling and Simple random sampling were used to obtain the sample size for the study. The study randomly sampled 64 respondents from district hospitals where 5 District Medical Officers, 19 Laboratory Assistants, 3 Laboratory Scientists, 2 Medical Officer In charge, and 28 Laboratory Technologists were enrolled, also staff from the council health management team (CHMT) whereas 7 District Laboratory Technologist were also enrolled in the study. Quantitative data were collected using Questionnaire tools. Analysis of data was done using SPSS software to obtain descriptive information between different variables. Study findings revealed that there was inadequate knowledge among key stakeholders implementing the program as 51.5% Low; 43.75% moderate; and 4.6% High levels of knowledge. Stakeholder’s accessibility to the program Guideline was 15.60%, Council Hospital Accessibility to Standardized Laboratory Equipment was 90.60%, Accessibility and Affordability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls was 79.70%, and thus an overall increase in the availability of Laboratory Reagents and Controls at the Council Hospitals was 65.60%. The study further revealed that the standardization program had a positive impact on the availability of reagents and control at Council hospitals as participants revealed an increase in the availability of reagents in their laboratories, but for more improvement of the program, it recommended that dissemination of the Standardization Guideline to all key stakeholders as well as engaging them in the implementation so as to improve ownership and efficiency of the program. The study also recommends to the government to make policies and regulations that are in line with the standardized program as well as ensure standardization program reaches all health facilities, including private and faith-based organizations with the aim of improving overall laboratory services across the country.
VL  - 8
IS  - 3
ER  -

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