Measurement of improvement achieved by participation in international laboratory accreditation in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi experience

Edwin Kibet, Zahir Moloo, Peter J. Ojwang, Shahin Sayed, Ann Mbuthia, Rodney D. Adam

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: As part of the ISO 15189:2007 accreditation process, the Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi laboratory became the first internationally accredited hospital laboratory in sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa in 2011 through the South Africa National Accreditation System. Methods: Seven preanalytic, 10 analytic, eight postanalytic, and five administrative performance parameters were monitored from 2009 to 2012 to measure the impact of the accreditation process. Results: Most measures in all four categories showed substantial improvement. The seven preanalytic measures all showed major improvement - between a quarter and a half sigma. Real but less dramatic improvement appeared in analytic and postanalytic measures, but greater than one sigma decrease in analytic "procedure violations" and a three-quarter sigma decrease in excessive turnaround time were noted in these categories. Administrative improvements included dramatic decreases in misdirected and missing reports and complaints. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the correlation of the accreditation process with improvement in quality measures in a low-resource region.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)188-195
Number of pages8
JournalAmerican Journal of Clinical Pathology
Volume141
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2014

Keywords

  • ISO 15189:2007
  • Medical laboratory accreditation
  • Quality improvement
  • South Africa National Accreditation System
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Three-phased model

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