External quality assurance of drug susceptibility testing in the southern African development community [Correspondence]

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. N. Mativandlela ◽  
J. Brand ◽  
N. Matlhola ◽  
M. Sewpersadh ◽  
S. A. S. Olorunju ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Drug Susceptibility ◽  
Drug Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Southern African Development Community ◽  
External Quality Assurance ◽  
External Quality ◽  
African Development

scholarly journals Implementation of quality management systems and progress towards accreditation of National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories in Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Albert ◽  
Jean De Dieu Iragena ◽  
Kekeletso Kao ◽  
Donatelle Erni ◽  
Teferi Mekonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
Drug Susceptibility ◽  
Drug Susceptibility Testing ◽  
External Quality Assurance ◽  
External Quality ◽  
National Tuberculosis ◽  
Line Drug

Background: Laboratory services are essential at all stages of the tuberculosis care cascade, from diagnosis and drug resistance testing to monitoring response to treatment. Enabling access to quality services is a challenge in low-resource settings. Implementation of a strong quality management system (QMS) and laboratory accreditation are key to improving patient care.Objectives: The study objective was to determine the status of QMS implementation and progress towards accreditation of National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories (NTRLs) in the African Region.Method: An online questionnaire was administered to NTRL managers in 47 World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa member states in the region, between February and April 2015, regarding the knowledge of QMS tools and progress toward implementation to inform strategies for tuberculosis diagnostic services strengthening in the region.Results: A total of 21 laboratories (43.0%) had received SLMTA/TB-SLMTA training, of which 10 had also used the Global Laboratory Initiative accreditation tool. However, only 36.7% of NTRLs had received a laboratory audit, a first step in quality improvement. Most NTRLs participated in acid-fast bacilli microscopy external quality assurance (95.8%), although external quality assurance for other techniques was lower (60.4% for first-line drug susceptibility testing, 25.0% for second-line drug susceptibility testing, and 22.9% for molecular testing). Barriers to accreditation included lack of training and accreditation programmes. Only 28.6%of NTRLs had developed strategic plans and budgets which included accreditation.Conclusion: Good foundations are in place on the continent from which to scale up accreditation efforts. Laboratory audits should be conducted as a first step in developing quality improvement action plans. Political commitment and strong leadership are needed to drive accreditation efforts; advocacy will require clear evidence of patient impact and cost-benefit.

scholarly journals Proficiency of WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network External Quality Assurance System participants in the identification and susceptibility testing of thermo-tolerant Campylobacter spp. from 2003-2012

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Karlsmose Pedersen ◽  
Jaap A. Wagenaar ◽  
Håkan Vigre ◽  
Louise Roer ◽  
Matthew Mikoleit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
External Quality Assurance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Correct Identification ◽  
Quality Assurance System ◽  
External Quality ◽  
Assurance System ◽  
And Control ◽  
Foodborne Infections

AbstractCampylobacter spp. are food- and water borne pathogens. While rather accurate estimates for these pathogens are available in industrialized countries, a lack of diagnostic capacity in developing countries limits accurate assessments of prevalence in many regions. Proficiency in the identification and susceptibility testing of these organisms is critical for surveillance and control efforts. The aim of the study was to assess performance for identification and susceptibility testing of thermo-tolerant Campylobacter among laboratories participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN) External Quality Assurance System (EQAS) over a nine year period.Participants (primarily national level laboratories) were encouraged to self-evaluate performance as part of continuous quality improvement.The ability to correctly identify Campylobacter spp. varied by year and ranged from 61.9 % (2008) to 90.7 % (2012), and the ability to correctly perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for Campylobacter spp. appeared to steadily increase from 91.4 % to 93.6 % in the test period (2009-2012).Poorest performance (60.0 % correct identification and 86.8 % correct AST results) was observed in African laboratories.Overall, approximately 10 % of laboratories reported either an incorrect identification or antibiogramme. As most participants were (supra)-national reference laboratories, these data raise significant concerns regarding capacity and proficiency at the local, clinical level. Addressing these diagnostic challenges is critical for both patient level management and broader surveillance and control efforts.

scholarly journals Proficiency of WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network External Quality Assurance System Participants in Identification and Susceptibility Testing of Thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. from 2003 to 2012

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Karlsmose Pedersen ◽  
Jaap A. Wagenaar ◽  
Håkan Vigre ◽  
Louise Roer ◽  
Matthew Mikoleit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Susceptibility Testing ◽  
External Quality Assurance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Quality Assurance System ◽  
External Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assurance System ◽  
And Control ◽  
Foodborne Infections

ABSTRACT Campylobacter spp. are foodborne and waterborne pathogens. While rather accurate estimates for these pathogens are available in industrialized countries, a lack of diagnostic capacity in developing countries limits accurate assessments of prevalence in many regions. Proficiency in the identification and susceptibility testing of these organisms is critical for surveillance and control efforts. The aim of the study was to assess performance for identification and susceptibility testing of thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. among laboratories participating in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN) External Quality Assurance System (EQAS) over a 9-year period. Participants (primarily national-level laboratories) were encouraged to self-evaluate their performance as part of continuous quality improvement. The ability to correctly identify Campylobacter spp. varied by year and ranged from 61.9% (2008) to 90.7% (2012), and the ability to correctly perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for Campylobacter spp. appeared to steadily increase from 91.4% to 93.6% in the test period (2009 to 2012). The poorest performance (60.0% correct identification and 86.8% correct AST results) was observed in African laboratories. Overall, approximately 10% of laboratories reported either an incorrect identification or antibiogram. As most participants were supranational reference laboratories, these data raise significant concerns regarding capacity and proficiency at the local clinical level. Addressing these diagnostic challenges is critical for both patient-level management and broader surveillance and control efforts.

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