ArticlePloS one2018
Performance evaluation of laboratory professionals on malaria microscopy at health facilities in Bahir Dar city administration, Northwest Ethiopia.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- Diagnostic performance of malaria microscopy among laboratory professionals in Ethiopia: a systematic review.Malaria journal · 2026Pooled it
- Trial
- Unveiling the overlooked burden of malaria misdiagnosis using lamp-based re-evaluation of routine malaria diagnosis in health centers: implications for public health and clinical practice in Northwest Ethiopia.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Article
- Evaluation of Malaria Microscopy Diagnostic Performance at 40 Public Health Facilities in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire in 2020.Acta parasitologica · 2024Article
- Unravelling the quality of malaria microscopy across Kinshasa, DR Congo.MalariaWorld journal · 2024Article
- Clinicians' satisfaction with laboratory services and associated factors at public health facilities in Northeast Ethiopia.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Mentorship on malaria microscopy diagnostic service in Ethiopia: baseline competency of microscopists and performance of health facilities.Malaria journal · 2021Article
- Article
- The Unmet Need: Low Performance of Laboratory Professionals in Malaria Microscopy, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2020Article
- Evaluation of malaria microscopy diagnostic performance at private health facilities in Tanzania.Malaria journal · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMicroscopic diagnosis of Giemsa stained thick and thin blood films by skilled microscopists has remained the gold standard laboratory method for the diagnosis of malaria. However, there is a scarcity of qualified laboratory professionals for correctly diagnosing malaria using microscopy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of laboratory professionals on malaria microscopy at health facilities in Bahir Dar city administration, Northwest Ethiopia.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2017 in Bahir Dar City. A total of 87 laboratory professionals participated in the selected health facilities, with a response rate of (100%). Standardized pre-validated slide panels and questionnaire were distributed to laboratory professionals by the principal investigator. The panel slides were comprised of 5 positives and 3 negative blood films. The laboratory professionals were requested to report the parasite density using semi-quantitative (+) and per micro-liter methods. Their performances of slide readings were compared with the experts' readings. Agreement in detecting malaria parasites between laboratory professionals and expert was estimated using the kappa score.
resultsThe overall sensitivity and specificity of the laboratory professionals in detecting malaria parasites were 83% and 97%, respectively. Similarly, positive predictive values of 98.1% and negative predictive values of 77.7% were reported. The percent agreement between laboratory professionals and expert microscopist in the detection of malaria parasites was 88.5% with a Kappa index of 0.78. Percent agreement in species identification and reporting of Pf/Pv mixed infections were 27.2% and 22.4%, respectively. About 62.2% of the laboratory professionals reported parasite density using semi-quantitative method. While none of them reported per micro-liter method.
conclusionsThe current study showed that laboratory professionals had good performance in parasite detection. However, poor performance was seen in both species identification and reporting of Pf/Pv mixed infections.
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