Laboratory quality improvement in Tanzania.

Abstract

The article describes the implementation and improvement in the first groups of medical laboratories in Tanzania selected to participate in the training program on Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA). As in many other African nations, the selected improvement plan consisted of formalized hands-on training (SLMTA) that teaches the tasks and skills of laboratory management and provides the tools for implementation of best laboratory practice. Implementation of the improvements learned during training was verified before and after SLMTA with the World Health Organization African Region Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation checklist. During a 4-year period, the selected laboratories described in this article demonstrated improvement with a range of 2% to 203% (cohort I) and 12% to 243% (cohort II) over baseline scores. The article describes the progress made in Tanzania's first cohorts, the obstacles encountered, and the lessons learned during the pilot and subsequent implementations.