The medical laboratory quality assessment of the Primary Care Units in 10th Public Health Region during 2018-2020

Abstract

Abstract

    According to the Ministry of Public Health policy which target to increase the capabilities of the service units for accessibility and equality health services, following this policy, the Regional Medical Sciences Center 10th Ubon Ratchathani has developed the medical laboratory quality system. This study aims to assess the laboratory quality of the Primary Care Units in 10th Public Health Region with a total of 922 units. By conducting the proficiency testing (PT) of 5 items for testing of blood glucose by Glucometer, hematocrit, urine pregnancy, protein and sugar screening. The urine and blood PT samples were developed and sent to participating laboratories during 2018-2020 twice a year, totally 6 times. There was an expect criteria that the number of the laboratories that tested correctly with both samples would be ≥ 80%. The evaluation was found as follow, for urine samples, the number of the laboratories that had the correct results of protein testing, sugar testing and pregnancy testing were ≥85%, 91%, and 84%, respectively.  For blood samples, glucose testing was   ≥ 76%, however the results from the last four rounds in 2019-2020 showed ≥ 85% . The hematocrit was tested correctly at ≥ 73%, as for the results of 2^nd round  of 2019 and  1^st round  of 2020 were ≥ 80% . The developed urine and whole blood  PT samples using in this study showed homogeneity and stability in accordance with ISO17043, ISO 13528 standards. In this study the performance evaluation laboratory of Primary Care Units in 10th Public indicated that the 3 testing using urine samples were reliable and the blood sugar testing had a tendency to meet the criteria, whereas, the hematocrit was not in accordance with the expected criteria. The obtained information can be used to identify and solve the problems for laboratory quality improvement in further.

Keywords: The proficiency Testing, The Primary Care Unit, Blood glucose, Hematocrit, Urine  pregnancy test