Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38828509›Full record

ArticleGlobal health action2024

Quality and resilience of clinical laboratories in Rwanda: a need for sustainable strategies.

Vincent Rusanganwa, Innocent Nzabahimana, Magnus Evander

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Global health action, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Vincent RusanganwaDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0003-3874-5086
Innocent NzabahimanaDepartment of Health Workforce, Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda.
Magnus EvanderDepartment of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6034-4807

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundQuality healthcare is a global priority, reliant on robust health systems for evidence-based medicine. Clinical laboratories are the backbone of quality healthcare facilitating diagnostics, treatment, patient monitoring, and disease surveillance. Their effectiveness depends on sustainable delivery of accurate test results. Although the Strengthening Laboratory Management Towards Accreditation (SLMTA) programme has enhanced laboratory quality in low-income countries, the long-term sustainability of this improvement remains uncertain.

objectiveTo explore the sustainability of quality performance in clinical laboratories in Rwanda following the conclusion of SLMTA.

methodsA quasi-experimental design was adopted, involving 47 laboratories divided into three groups with distinct interventions. While one group received continuous mentorship and annual assessments (group two), interventions for the other groups (groups one and three) ceased following the conclusion of SLMTA. SLMTA experts collected data for 10 years through assessments using WHO's StepwiseLaboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist. Descriptive and t-test analyses were conducted for statistical evaluation.

resultsImprovements in quality were noted between baseline and exit assessments across all laboratory groups (mean baseline: 35.3%, exit: 65.8%,

conclusionA coordinated implementation of quality improvement plan that enables regular laboratory assessments to pinpoint and address the quality gaps is essential for sustaining quality services in clinical laboratories.

Indexed as

AccreditationLaboratories, ClinicalQuality ImprovementDeveloping CountriesHumansQuality of Health CareRwandahealth systeminterventionlaboratory assessmentQuality improvementSLMTA

Identifiers

PMID38828509
PMCPMC11149573

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.