Title:
Utilization of diagnostic laboratories in sub-Saharan Africa: Changing roles and increasing need for interprofessional collaboration
Authors:
Bussink, Anton P.
Publisher:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
Year:
2015
PAGE:
38
Language:
En
Subject:
Laboratory Quality Strengthening
Keywords:
laboratory systems, diagnostic laboratories, Laboratory capacity building, laboratory strengthening, laboratory utilization, diagnostics, interprofessional, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Abstract:
Despite a surge in international interest in laboratory systems for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in recent years, the state of many laboratories in the region has remained unchanged for decades. This thesis describes the changing regional and global context with regard to the diagnostic landscape and how this changes the roles of diagnostic laboratories. A special focus has been on the inter-professional collaboration between laboratory and clinical staff. The results are based on a literature study, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with key informants and own experiences. From the study a picture emerges that laboratory systems suffer from a lack of recognition and sense of priority, which causes laboratory staff to feel undervalued. The technological, social and biological developments addressed here warrant a change in the way the role of diagnostic laboratories is viewed. Local policy makers should recognize the increased need for laboratory infrastructure, ensure adequate numbers of laboratory specialists are available which are trained according to future needs and change job descriptions accordingly. However, investing in laboratories alone may not be enough. Clinicians are often still inclined to base their diagnosis on clinical symptoms alone, despite the availability of novel diagnostics. A lack of experience in communication with other cadres and a sense of complacency towards the efforts of diagnostic laboratories may be in part to blame for this. A more inter-professional approach is advocated, in which laboratory specialists actively participate as well-trained professionals that orchestrate the various efforts related to diagnostics. The results of the study were retrospectively fitted into a previously described analytical model, in an attempt to create a theoretical framework that may prove useful for future discussions on the role of the laboratory in SSA.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
,
VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
Country:
The Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Training:
Master in International Health
Category:
research
Right:
@ 2015 Bussink
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
bTCHUquoIN_20171119130611498.pdf