Medical Laboratory Services Research Articles

Update on Patient Self-Testing with Portable and Wearable Devices: Advantages and Limitations.

Laboratory medicine has undergone a deep and multifaceted revolution in the course of human history, in both organizational and technical terms. Over the past century, there has been a growing recognition of the need to centralize numerous diagnostic activities, often similar or identical but located in different clinical departments, into a common environment (i.e., the medical laboratory service), followed by a progressive centralization of tests from smaller laboratories into larger diagnostic facilities. Nevertheless, the numerous technological advances that emerged at the beginning of the new millennium have helped to create a new testing culture characterized by a countervailing trend of decentralization of some tests closer to patients and caregivers. The forces that have driven this (centripetal) counter-revolution essentially include a few key concepts, namely "home testing", "portable or even wearable devices" and "remote patient monitoring". By their very nature, laboratory medical services and remote patient testing/monitoring are not contradictory, but may well coexist, with the choice of one or the other depending on the demographic and clinical characteristics of the patient, the type of analytical procedure and the logistics and local organization of the care system. Therefore, this article aims to provide a general overview of patient self-testing, with a particular focus on portable and wearable (including implantable) devices.

Community-based health insurance beneficiaries' satisfaction on laboratory services and associated factors in selected public hospitals in Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, Southwest, Ethiopia.

The community-based health insurance (CBHI) scheme is a growing initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare access for the most impoverished members of the community. The Ethiopian CBHI scheme aims to enhance access to essential healthcare services, including medical laboratory services, for the poorest members of the community, but there is limited evidence on satisfaction levels. The aim of this study was to assess the satisfaction level of CBHI beneficiaries with laboratory services and their associated factors among selected public hospitals in Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted on selected public hospitals in the Jimma Zone from September to October 2023. A total of 421 CBHI beneficiaries were enrolled in the study using a convenient sampling technique, and interviewers administered structured questionnaires to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-data and analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 25. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize independent variables; bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to test the association between independent and dependent variables; and statistical significance was declared at P<0.05. More than half (55.8%) of the 419 study participants were female. Above half, 57.5% of the respondents were satisfied by the clinical laboratory services at public hospitals in Jimma Zone. Components with a higher satisfaction rate were providers' professional appearances (98.3%), procedures for specimen collection (87.6%), and availability of entertainment facilities at the waiting area (67.8%). On the contrary, longer waiting times to receive the test results (76.6%), inefficiency of the reception area (74.7%), and the inability of professionals to explain diagnostic procedures (58.0%) were associated with higher rates of dissatisfaction. Educational status and the number of hospital visits were found to have a statistically significant association with level of satisfaction with laboratory services. CBHI beneficiaries' satisfaction with laboratory service was at a moderate level in Jimma Zone public hospitals. Therefore, attention should be given to continuous monitoring of patients' satisfaction with services, improving reception areas, and practicing routine explanations about the purposes and procedures during specimen collection to improve the beneficiaries' satisfaction level with clinical laboratory services.

Advancing personalized medicine: Integrating statistical algorithms with omics and nano-omics for enhanced diagnostic accuracy and treatment efficacy

Medical laboratory services enable precise measurement of thousands of biomolecules and have become an inseparable part of high-quality healthcare services, exerting a profound influence on global health outcomes. The integration of omics technologies into laboratory medicine has transformed healthcare, enabling personalized treatments and interventions based on individuals' distinct genetic and metabolic profiles. Interpreting laboratory data relies on reliable reference values. Presently, population-derived references are used for individuals, risking misinterpretation due to population heterogeneity, and leading to medical errors. Thus, personalized references are crucial for precise interpretation of individual laboratory results, and the interpretation of omics data should be based on individualized reference values. We reviewed recent advancements in personalized laboratory medicine, focusing on personalized omics, and discussed strategies for implementing personalized statistical approaches in omics technologies to improve global health and concluded that personalized statistical algorithms for interpretation of omics data have great potential to enhance global health. Finally, we demonstrated that the convergence of nanotechnology and omics sciences is transforming personalized laboratory medicine by providing unparalleled diagnostic precision and innovative therapeutic strategies.

Donor-funded procurement effectiveness in the public health medical laboratory services: Examining the moderation role for government policy in donor-support

Background: The paper seeks to provide evidence on the government policy’s moderating role in donor-funded procurement in the laboratory services of Zimbabwe. Procurement is a key component for any organizations to function optimally and the medical laboratory service is no exception considering that the donors are the major funders of the department hence the need for this study to examine the government policy as the moderating variable for this research. Medical laboratory services plays a very important role in the functioning of any health sector as every disease have to be tested to ascertain the actual disease a person suffering from before any treatment can be commenced. Aims: The aim of the paper was to examine the moderating role of government policy on donor-funded procurement in Zimbabwe’s laboratory services. Methods: The paper made use of a quantitative method research method. Data was collected from 260 respondents sampled from a total population of 795 using RaoSoftware but only 214 respondents successfully returned the questionnaire from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe and the analysis was done using STATA to run the structural equation modeling. Results: The study found out that government policy (GP) moderates the pre-donation preparation process (PDPP) (β=0.15, p-value = 0.038) donation requirement process (DRP) (β=0.24, p-value =0.000), donation recipient planning process (DRPP) (β=0.22, p-value = 0.001) and donation implementation process (DIP) (β=0.18, p-value = 0.004) and the effectiveness of donor-funded procurement. Conclusion: Based on the results, the study concluded that government policy has a role to play to support donor-funded procurement in the laboratory services in Zimbabwe and the world over and the study recommended that policy maker should take into consideration the important role as government policy plays as it support key health outcomes considering the crucial role the medical laboratory also plays. Received: 16 April 2024 | Reviewed: 22 April 2024 | Revised: 6 May 2024 | Accepted: 11 June 2024.

Donor-funded procurement effectiveness in the public health medical laboratory services: Examining the moderation role for government policy in donor-support

The paper seeks to provide evidence on the government policy’s moderating role in donor-funded procurement in the laboratory services of Zimbabwe. Procurement is a key component for any organisation to function optimally and the medical laboratory service is no exception considering that the donors are the major funders of the department hence the need for this study to examine the government policy as the moderating variable for this research. Medical laboratory services plays a very important role in the functioning of any health sector as every disease have to be tested to ascertain the actual disease a person suffering from before any treatment can be commenced. The aim of the paper was to examine the moderating role of government policy on donor-funded procurement in Zimbabwe’s laboratory services. This study only focused on donor-funded procurement in the laboratory services of Zimbabwe. The paper made use of a quantitative method research method. Data was collected from 214 respondents from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe. The study found out that government policy (GP) moderates the pre-donation preparation process (PDPP) (β=0.15, p-value = 0.038) donation requirement process (DRP) (β=0.24, p-value =0.000), donation recipient planning process (DRPP) (β=0.22, p-value = 0.001) and donation implementation process (DIP) (β=0.18, p-value = 0.004) and the effectiveness of donor-funded procurement. Based on the results, the study concluded that government policy has a role to play to support donor-funded procurement in the laboratory services in Zimbabwe and the world over. This study is the first of its kind focusing on how donor-funded procurement can be improved in support of the key health outcomes such as laboratory services.

Peran Pemerintah Dalam Pengawasan Keselamatan dan Kesehatan Kerja Dinas Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi Provinsi Jawa Timur (K3) Kepada Para Pekerja di Lingkungan Tempat Kerja

The Supervisor of the East Java Province Manpower and Transmigration service has a role in ensuring occupational safety and health in his area. One of its roles is to facilitate services in the field of work safety, organize monitoring efforts for workers and the community, as well as medical laboratory services and environmental testing laboratories. The aim of this research is to determine the role of the East Java Province Manpower and Transmigration Service in carrying out in-depth occupational safety and health supervision of entrepreneurs/companies in the workplace environment. The research uses a qualitative research method with a descriptive approach. In this research, the data sources used to complete the writing are primary data sources and secondary data sources. So the data analysis in this research is based on 3 (three) Government roles in monitoring occupational safety and health namely Regulator, Dynamisator, Facilitator. The results of the research show that the role ofthe government of the East Java Manpower and Transmigration Service has not been carried out optimally because the government lacks direct attention to see the obstacles experienced by workers, both in terms of guidance and training, as well as facilities and infrastructure which are not distributed evenly

Donor-funded procurement determinants and effectiveness of procurement in the public health medical laboratory services: Examining the mediating factors

Donor-funded procurement determinants and effectiveness of procurement in the public health medical laboratory services: Examining the mediating factors

Donor-funded procurement determinants and effectiveness of procurement in the public health medical laboratory services: examining the mediating factors

Donor-funded procurement determinants and effectiveness of procurement in the public health medical laboratory services: examining the mediating factors

Designing a resilient medical laboratory service network under disruption and uncertainty: A case study

Health service networks play a key role in ensuring the health of society. Disruptive and operational risks are constantly affecting the goals of healthcare supply chain and service networks. Therefore, adopting a suitable approach to deal with risks is critical in the mentioned networks. This study proposes a mathematical model for designing an integrated resilient medical laboratory service network and the supply chain of laboratory consumables under multiple facility disruptions to minimize the total network design costs. A robust possibilistic optimization approach is employed to deal with the uncertainty of input parameters. Then, a case study is presented to extract the results and evaluate the proposed model. Regarding the results, the integration of the laboratory service network and laboratory consumables supply chain significantly reduces costs and improves the service process in the long run. Also, adopting more efficient resiliency strategies will increase the cost savings of the entire network.

Challenges and gaps in regulating medical laboratories in India

Accurate diagnosis is an essential component of healthcare delivery. However, research on the delivery of diagnostic services is lacking in low- and middle-income countries. This article examines the issues related to the provision of medical laboratory services in India, including licencing, geographic distribution, charging practices, quality, personnel requirements, information sharing, and newer technologies that impact the sector. The challenges and gaps in regulatory mechanisms governing these services are discussed, highlighting the need for improvements. Legislation to regulate medical laboratories in many Indian states is either outdated or non-existent, with some states recently updating or enacting their laws. A registry of medical laboratories in the country will assist in assessing and meeting the shortfall. Universal adoption of external and inter-laboratory quality control mechanisms will help in standardization and ensuring quality. Clarity and consensus on who can operate medical laboratories and the responsibility of different cadres of technical staff are required. The provision for making information on registered laboratories publicly available under the Central and some state legislations can be very useful to the users in choosing laboratories. Mandatory reporting to the government by both public- and private-sector laboratories will help in maintaining data on disease burden and in planning health services. However, the lack of data protection laws in the country creates the potential for violation of the users’ privacy when laboratories store data digitally and report it online on government web portals. Caution is warranted in the use of newer technologies until the regulations governing these matters are strengthened. A combination of voluntary and statutory mechanisms such as accreditation and regulation would be useful instruments for ensuring quality in diagnostic services. Research on the effectiveness of existing provisions at the state level would help in understanding their impact and suggest ways of further improvement.

Basic Medical Laboratory Services as an Effort to Detect Metabolic Syndrome in Anduonohu Sub-District, Kendari City

Metabolic syndrome is an accumulation of metabolic disorders that can increase the risk of cardiovascular-related diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by central obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension and decreased of HDL level. Community basically already knows each parameter separately but still rarely knows about the condition if these parameters occur together as metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to socialize as well as brought laboratory services closer to detect metabolic syndrome. This activity was carried out on 50 residents of the Anduonohu Village, Poasia District, Kendari City. Laboratory services performed include measurement of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose and blood cholesterol. Detection of metabolic syndrome using the definition of the International Diabetes Foundation 2009 by assessing the parameters of central obesity, blood pressure and glucose levels showed that 48% of the participants had metabolic syndrome

The role of service quality in enhancing brand authenticity through the moderation effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR)

ABSTRACT This paper aims to examine the impact of service quality and corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand authenticity and determine the moderating effects of CSR on the relationship between service quality and brand authenticity. Survey data was collected from 472 customers of Karachi, Pakistan’s four major medical diagnostic laboratories, through the convenience sampling technique. The quantitative method was used. To collect information from respondents, a self-administered questionnaire is used. We utilized the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique to analyze data. The results show that CSR, service quality, and brand authenticity are related in medical diagnostic and research laboratories. Research findings indicate that service quality and CSR directly and positively impact brand authenticity. In addition, CSR moderates the effect between service quality and brand authenticity. Managers can see corporate social responsibility as an intangible value that goes along with high-quality services and makes medical diagnostic and research laboratory services more authentic.

The Forgotten Factors Affecting the Expansion of Medical Laboratory Services to cope up the Rising Health Demands in Sri Lanka

Introduction: The government of Sri Lanka identifies health laboratory service as an essential component in the health care service and is committed to providing quality essential laboratory services to healthcare seekers. Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka is responsible for the establishment and enactment of relevant legislation, and for providing technical and managerial guidelines for the maintenance of laboratories which comply with nationally and internationally accepted standards. Epidemiological and demographic transitions in Sri Lanka have compelled it to focus its attention to combat noncommunicable diseases, which are accounting for an estimated 80% of the annual deaths in the country. Improvement of diagnostics was identified as a priority in Health Master Plan 2016-2025 and by Primary Health Care System Strengthening Project. Methodology and results: Qualitative methods such as key informant interviews, attending meetings and desk reviews were used to collect the factors affecting the expansion of laboratory services and the most crucial factors were identified by using the 80:20 rule. Issues related to the implementation of the National Laboratory Policy, laboratory financing, human resource issues, accreditation, and lack of making sense of data were found to be the most crucial factors that need to be addressed strategically to successfully expand laboratory services across healthcare institutions. Conclusions: It is essential to improve the competencies and capabilities of the Policy Analysis and Development Unit of the Ministry of Health to facilitate policy analysis, reviews, and preparation of groundwork for National Policy enactment. Lack of accredited health laboratories and a plan to accredit may reflect adversely on the technical competence. Widespread unavailability and compartmentalization of information management systems have led to underutilization of laboratory-related data and this has resulted in a lack of a viable plan for evidence-based laboratory finance allocation and human resource development.

The Forgotten Factors Affecting the Expansion of Medical Laboratory Services to cope up the Rising Health Demands in Sri Lanka

The Forgotten Factors Affecting the Expansion of Medical Laboratory Services to cope up the Rising Health Demands in Sri Lanka

Magnitude of extra-analytical errors and associated factors in medical laboratories in thirteen Public Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Currently, more than two-thirds of medical decisions are made based on laboratory test results. However, due to the compromised pre-analytical and post-analytical phases (or extra-analytical phase), the reporting of incorrect or inappropriate test results was still prevalent. Studies focusing on the prevalence of and factors associated with laboratory error remain very limited in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of extra-analytical errors and associated factors in medical laboratory services in 13 public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from January to April 2020. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the medical laboratories of public hospitals in Addis Ababa from January to April 2020 to assess extra-analytical errors and associated factors. Data were collected from 2401 laboratory request forms ordered within the study period and 169 laboratory professionals working in public hospitals. The collected data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23 software. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics, percentages, and frequencies and summarized using tables and text. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted, and variables (with a p value below 0.25) were included in the multivariate logistic regression model. A p value <0.05 was considered a cutoff point in the final model. In this study, of the errors detected, 60.3% occurred in the pre-analytical phase and 39.7% in the post-analytical phase. Extra-analytical errors in laboratory services were significantly associated with lack of written procedures for laboratory activities (adjusted odds ratio = 2.79, 95% confidence interval = 1.34-5.86), 1-2 years of work experience (adjusted odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval = 2.54-9.31), work experience (3-5 years) (adjusted odds ratio = 2.67, 95% confidence interval = 0.94-4.56), and education (diploma) (adjusted odds ratio = 6.30, 95% confidence interval = 2.17-12.26). This study discovered errors in the pre-analytical (60.3%) and post-analytical (39.7%) phases, and none of the requisition papers had complete data. This frequency may be affected by workload, a lack of written procedures, the number of years of work experience, and the level of education of the staff.

Retracted: Computer Management Design and Optimization of City Smart Medical Laboratory Service

Retracted: Computer Management Design and Optimization of City Smart Medical Laboratory Service

Medical laboratory accreditation status and associated factors in selected private and government health facilities of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

quality medical laboratory service(s) is a key to patient safety with a great emphasis on medical diagnoses and treatment. ISO 15189 laboratory accreditation is an effective way to demonstrate competency. Despite the benefits, there are considerable exigent efforts towards achieving its target, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Hence, determining those factors that hinder laboratory quality services and the process of accreditation is important to address and resolve. Thus, this study aimed to assess medical laboratory accreditation process and in selected private and government health facility laboratories in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Addis Ababa from July 1 to August 30, 2018. Data was entered into EPI-data version 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS version 23. Data from focus group discussions were categorized and discussed thematically. Additionally, logistic regression analyses were computed to examine the relationship between the explanatory and response variable. a total of 411 professionals participated in this study, of which 117(28.8%) participants were female, 280 (68.2%) participants with a bachelor´s degree, and 352 (85.6%) participants had information about accreditation. The current laboratory accreditation status in Addis Ababa is 3.6%. The primary identified factors were gaps related to method verification/validation, equipment calibration, and continual program quality improvement. strengthening laboratory management standards towards accreditation (SLMTA) will significantly improve the accreditation process. However, there are internal and external factors may hinder the current accreditation process. Therefore, all responsible agencies/services should give more attention to solving those identified major barriers to achieving accreditation.

Evaluating the Impact of Nursing Care and Laboratory Services on Healthcare Quality: A Comprehensive Analysis

This article provides a critical examination of the integral roles that nursing care and medical laboratory services play in determining the quality of healthcare services. With an emphasis on evidence-based practices, the paper explores how proficient nursing care directly influences patient outcomes, including satisfaction levels, recovery rates, and effective chronic disease management. Concurrently, the analysis delves into the pivotal function of medical laboratory services in the diagnostic process, emphasizing the necessity for accuracy and timeliness in test results, which significantly impact therapeutic decisions and patient well-being. By integrating findings from various studies and case examples, the article highlights the importance of seamless collaboration and communication between nursing staff and laboratory professionals in optimizing patient care. Furthermore, it addresses the challenges faced in this integration and proposes viable solutions grounded in current research and best practices. The discussion extends to the implications of healthcare policies and the potential future directions of nursing and laboratory services, underscored by technological advancements. The article concludes with actionable recommendations for healthcare practitioners and policymakers aimed at enhancing the synergy between nursing care and laboratory services to improve overall healthcare quality

Validity test of POCT (Point of Care Testing) method on blood glucose examination using whole blood samples, serum, and EDTA plasma

Medical laboratory services can support disease diagnosis or monitor patient recovery. The reality of the POCT method has been widely used by clinical laboratories. The tool is not only used for screening but is also used to check the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. This research aims to determine the validity of the POCT method on whole blood, serum, and plasma EDTA samples on blood glucose tests. The research method of this study used the descriptive-analytical method using the POCT method on blood glucose tests using three different types of samples, whole blood, serum, and plasma EDTA. Precision tests were accepted on normal and pathological serum samples with CV% of 2.02% and 2.27%. The accuracy test was accepted on a normal and pathological serum with TE% values ​​of 8.54% and 6.03%. The linearity test is accepted on serum–plasma EDTA samples with an r2 value of 0.998. The sigma values ​​are in the unacceptable area. The use of the POCT tool for blood glucose examination has a valid performance value. The deviation of the examination results is influenced by pre-analytical errors such as sampling and processing samples so that the total error obtained is higher than the total allowed error. The POCT tool can be used for all types of samples.

COVID-19 cases among medical laboratory services staff in South Africa, 2020-2021: A cohort study.

Medical laboratory workers may have an increased risk of COVID-19 due to their interaction with biological samples received for testing and contamination of documents. Records of COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed positive cases within the medical laboratory service were routinely collected in the company's Occupational Health and Safety Information System (OHASIS). Surveillance data from the OHASIS system were extracted from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021. An epidemic curve was plotted and compared to that for the country, along with prevalence proportions and incidence rates. The odds of COVID-19 infection were categorised by job and compared to the US Occupational Risk Scores. A logistic regression model assessed the risk of COVID-19 infection per occupational group. A total of 2091 (26% of staff) COVID-19 positive cases were reported. The number of COVID-19 cases was higher in the first wave at 46% (967/2091) of cases, than in the second wave 40% (846/2091) of cases. There was no significant difference in COVID-19 prevalence between male and female employees. The job categories with the most increased risk were laboratory managers [AOR 3.2 (95%CI 1.9-5.1)] and laboratory support clerks [AOR 3.2 (95%CI 1.9-5.2)]. Our study confirms that some categories of medical laboratory staff are at increased risk for COVID-19; this is a complex interaction between workplace risk factors, community interaction, socioeconomic status, personal habits, and behaviour. Targeted interventions are recommended for high-risk groups. OHASIS has the potential to generate data for surveillance of health care workers and contribute towards a South African risk profile.