ArticleAfrican journal of laboratory medicine2014
From grass to grace: How SLMTA revolutionised the Bamenda Regional Hospital Laboratory in Cameroon.
Article in African journal of laboratory medicine, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
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- Key success factors for the implementation of quality management systems in developing countries.African journal of laboratory medicine · 2023Review
- Implementing surgical mentorship in a resource-constrained context: a mixed methods assessment of the experiences of mentees, mentors, and leaders, and lessons learned.BMC medical education · 2022Article
- Microbiology laboratories involved in disease and antimicrobial resistance surveillance: Strengths and challenges of the central African states.African journal of laboratory medicine · 2022Review
- A multimodal mentorship intervention to improve surgical quality in Tanzania's Lake Zone: a convergent, mixed methods assessment.Human resources for health · 2021Article
- Review of the Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) version 2:2015.African journal of laboratory medicine · 2020Article
- How Effective are Mentoring Programs for Improving Health Worker Competence and Institutional Performance in Africa? A Systematic Review of Quantitative Evidence.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2019Review
- Implementing a quality management system using good clinical laboratory practice guidelines at KEMRI-CMR to support medical research.Wellcome open research · 2018Article
- Rapid Ascent From Zero Quality to International Organization for Standardization Accreditation: A Case Study of Hai Duong Preventive Medicine Center in Vietnam, 2012-2013.American journal of clinical pathology · 2017Article
- A comprehensive review of the SLMTA literature part 2: Measuring success.African journal of laboratory medicine · 2014Review
- A comprehensive review of the SLMTA literature part 1: Content analysis and future priorities.African journal of laboratory medicine · 2014Review
- Maximising mentorship: Variations in laboratory mentorship models implemented in Zimbabwe.African journal of laboratory medicine · 2014Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundPublic health laboratories form the foundation on which today's clinical laboratory practice in Cameroon is built. The advent of the Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) programme in 2009 empowered the Bamenda Regional Hospital Laboratory (BRHL) to improve its working culture, practices and management.
objectivesTo evaluate the results of SLMTA implementation at BRHL and discuss lessons learned.
methodIn 2010, the SLMTA programme was rolled out in Cameroon to improve laboratory quality management systems in five laboratories, including BRHL. Three workshops were conducted (the first centralised, the remaining two on-site at each laboratory) and improvement projects were implemented after each workshop with the assistance of mentors. Audits were used in order to evaluate performance and to identify areas for further improvement.
resultsBRHL had the lowest score (18%) amongst the cohort at the baseline audit and the highest (81%) at the official Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) audit conducted in August 2013 by the African Society for Laboratory Medicine. Improvements were observed in each of the 12 Quality System Essentials; improvement was especially noteworthy in the areas of facilities and safety, and purchasing and inventory. Staff investment and pride in the quality of laboratory services increased.
conclusionBRHL's remarkable improvement was achieved with a combination of SLMTA training activities, intensive on-site mentorship and the collective focus of all laboratory staff. The experience at Bamenda Hospital illustrates what can be achieved when a laboratory successfully harnesses the energy of its staff and implements changes to improve the quality of services in a transformation taking them from grass to grace.
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