Quality Assurance and capacity building Case Team
The Journey to Laboratory Excellence
An analysis of the Laboratory Quality Management System (LQMS) improvement process towards international accreditation.
Understanding the Quality Landscape
The SLIPTA framework assesses laboratories across 12 critical domains, each with a different weight. This distribution highlights the areas of greatest importance for achieving a robust quality management system. Facilities and Safety holds the most weight, underscoring its foundational role in laboratory operations.
The Path to Accreditation: Star Ratings
The SLIPTA framework uses a 5-star system to benchmark a laboratory's progress. Each star level corresponds to a specific percentage of compliance, providing a clear and motivating pathway for continuous improvement from less than 55% to over 95% compliance.
1 Star
55-64%
2 Stars
65-74%
3 Stars
75-84%
4 Stars
85-94%
5 Stars
≥95%
☆
0 Stars
<55%
Hypothetical Market Distribution
In a typical region beginning its quality improvement journey, the distribution of laboratories across star ratings often shows a larger proportion at the lower levels. This highlights the widespread need for foundational support and the significant opportunity for growth across the entire system.
The Assessment Process Flow
The journey is a structured process spanning several months, from initial preparation to long-term follow-up. Each phase has a clear objective and responsible party, ensuring a systematic and effective approach to quality improvement.
Pre-Audit
2 Weeks
Document collation & staff training.
On-Site Audit
3-5 Days
Inspection, reviews, interviews.
Analysis
1 Week
Scoring, gap identification, rating.
Action Plan
2 Weeks
CAP development, resource allocation.
Follow-Up
6-12 Months
Re-audit, PT submission, accreditation.
Navigating the Journey: SWOT Analysis
A typical laboratory undertaking the SLIPTA process faces a common set of internal strengths and weaknesses, along with external opportunities and threats. Understanding these factors is key to developing a successful improvement strategy.
Strengths (Internal)
- Dedicated and available staff ready for interviews.
- Existence of trained internal auditors or safety officers.
- Leadership commitment to the quality improvement process.
Weaknesses (Internal)
- Incomplete or non-validated documentation (SOPs, records).
- Inconsistent equipment maintenance and calibration logs.
- Gaps in staff training records or competency assessments.
Opportunities (External)
- Clear roadmap to achieve ISO 15189 accreditation.
- Improved reputation and trust with clinicians and patients.
- Potential for inclusion in national and regional health networks.
Threats (External)
- Scoring <80 automatic="" failure="" leads="" li="" on="" proficiency="" testing="" to="">Limited resources or funding for required improvements.
- Supply chain issues affecting reagents and consumables.
Key Performance Indicators for Success
≥80%
Proficiency Testing Score
This is a non-negotiable threshold. Failing to achieve at least 80% on two consecutive external PT challenges results in an automatic 0-star rating, regardless of the overall checklist score.
100%
Ethical Compliance
Full alignment with ISO 15189 Annex C is mandatory, ensuring patient confidentiality and informed consent are upheld without compromise, forming the ethical foundation of quality care.
Upcoming Post Announcement
Stay tuned! We'll be posting the full article exploring these initiatives in detail next week. Don't miss out on understanding how the Somali Region is Strengthening the quality of laboratory services.
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