Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana
Abstract Background Inaccurate malaria results can lead to patient mismanagement, misperceptions about malaria resistance patterns and public health misinformation. All laboratories need to be able to demonstrate that their results are accurate. Establishing and maintaining a system for monitoring t...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:eb83aa5535984b1389558c93834c8e22 2023-05-15T15:12:43+02:00 Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana Bekoe Veronica Bates Imelda Asamoa-Adu Alex 2004-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-3-38 https://doaj.org/article/eb83aa5535984b1389558c93834c8e22 EN eng BMC http://www.malariajournal.com/content/3/1/38 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-3-38 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/eb83aa5535984b1389558c93834c8e22 Malaria Journal, Vol 3, Iss 1, p 38 (2004) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 article 2004 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-3-38 2022-12-30T23:51:15Z Abstract Background Inaccurate malaria results can lead to patient mismanagement, misperceptions about malaria resistance patterns and public health misinformation. All laboratories need to be able to demonstrate that their results are accurate. Establishing and maintaining a system for monitoring test accuracy is a complex, expensive and technically demanding process, which very few poor countries have been able to implement. This study described the process and assessed the feasibility of establishing a nation-wide system for improving the accuracy of malaria-related tests in peripheral laboratories in Ghana. Programme implementation A baseline survey of all 693 laboratory staff in 205 sub-regional government and mission health laboratories in Ghana was conducted by a national network of laboratory supervisors. Survey results guided a training programme to improve test accuracy. Outcomes included changes in the quality of laboratory tests and the system was considered to be feasible if >50% of laboratory staff in each region received training and if test accuracy could be documented. Programme indicators 74% (mean) of the 693 laboratory staff were assistants with no professional qualifications. There were marked differences between regions in the availability of essential resources for malaria diagnosis (e.g. microscopes). 93% of laboratory staff received training; in six months there were increases of 11% and 7% respectively in the number of laboratories producing haemoglobin and malaria microscopy results of acceptable quality. Conclusions It is possible to establish a system for improving and monitoring test accuracy in peripheral laboratories on a country-wide basis in a developing country using a model that could be adapted for use in other countries and for other components of health care provision. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Malaria Journal 3 1 38 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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English |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 Bekoe Veronica Bates Imelda Asamoa-Adu Alex Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana |
topic_facet |
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Infectious and parasitic diseases RC109-216 |
description |
Abstract Background Inaccurate malaria results can lead to patient mismanagement, misperceptions about malaria resistance patterns and public health misinformation. All laboratories need to be able to demonstrate that their results are accurate. Establishing and maintaining a system for monitoring test accuracy is a complex, expensive and technically demanding process, which very few poor countries have been able to implement. This study described the process and assessed the feasibility of establishing a nation-wide system for improving the accuracy of malaria-related tests in peripheral laboratories in Ghana. Programme implementation A baseline survey of all 693 laboratory staff in 205 sub-regional government and mission health laboratories in Ghana was conducted by a national network of laboratory supervisors. Survey results guided a training programme to improve test accuracy. Outcomes included changes in the quality of laboratory tests and the system was considered to be feasible if >50% of laboratory staff in each region received training and if test accuracy could be documented. Programme indicators 74% (mean) of the 693 laboratory staff were assistants with no professional qualifications. There were marked differences between regions in the availability of essential resources for malaria diagnosis (e.g. microscopes). 93% of laboratory staff received training; in six months there were increases of 11% and 7% respectively in the number of laboratories producing haemoglobin and malaria microscopy results of acceptable quality. Conclusions It is possible to establish a system for improving and monitoring test accuracy in peripheral laboratories on a country-wide basis in a developing country using a model that could be adapted for use in other countries and for other components of health care provision. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bekoe Veronica Bates Imelda Asamoa-Adu Alex |
author_facet |
Bekoe Veronica Bates Imelda Asamoa-Adu Alex |
author_sort |
Bekoe Veronica |
title |
Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana |
title_short |
Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana |
title_full |
Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana |
title_fullStr |
Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana |
title_full_unstemmed |
Improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in Ghana |
title_sort |
improving the accuracy of malaria-related laboratory tests in ghana |
publisher |
BMC |
publishDate |
2004 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-3-38 https://doaj.org/article/eb83aa5535984b1389558c93834c8e22 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Malaria Journal, Vol 3, Iss 1, p 38 (2004) |
op_relation |
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/3/1/38 https://doaj.org/toc/1475-2875 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-3-38 1475-2875 https://doaj.org/article/eb83aa5535984b1389558c93834c8e22 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-3-38 |
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Malaria Journal |
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3 |
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1 |
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38 |
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1766343356029337600 |