LEVEL OF HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICE QUALITY, SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS AND ITS PREDICTORS IN PUBLIC HOSPITALSIN HARARTOWN, EASTERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Quality laboratory services are important in the healthcare system for successful diagnosis and patient care. Uninterrupted laboratory services are needed to meet the needs of all patients and clinical personnel. In Ethiopia nearly half of physicians were dissatisfied due to lack of quality laboratory services and its interruption. But in Harar the level of health laboratory services quality and interruption is unknown. Objective: This study aims to assess the level of health laboratories service quality, service interruptions and its predictors in public Hospitals in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia, from January to April 2024. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital and Jugel Hospital with convenient sampling technique. Standardized checklists that completed by trained and certified SLIPTA Auditor, a checklist adopted from the Ethiopian hospital standard transformation guideline and structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered and analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 software. Percentage and frequency were used to identify service interruptions. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine association between dependent and independent variables. The association was reported as an odds ratio and variables with P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant with 95 % CI. Result: Two public hospitals laboratories and 54 laboratory professionals were involved. Averagely, those two laboratories in public hospitals scored 61% (1-star) according to SLIPTA checklist and 31(43.05%) of tests were interrupted, with clinical chemistry tests being the most interrupted 16(51.6%) followed by Serology and Hematology tests that interrupted 7(22.6%) and 4(12.9%), respectively. Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital scored 77% (3-stars), with (19)25% of interruptions and Jugel Hospital scored 46.1% (0-star), with 43(63.2%) of interruptions. Lack of timely management response [AOR= 7.78, 95% CI= 1.48-40.83] and shortage of supplies on time [AOR= 6.8, 95% CI= 1.07-32.83] were significantly associated with the interruptions of laboratory services. Conclusion: None of the hospital‘s laboratories met the maximum score of the SLIPTA standard. Laboratory service interruptions were common in the two studied public hospitals. Clinical chemistry tests, followed by Serology and Hematology tests were interrupted frequently due to shortage of reagents and supplies. Laboratory with the lowest star rating experienced a high percentage of interruptions. So, policy makers and other stakeholders should support for continuous quality improvement and act on predictors of laboratory services interruptions to improve laboratory performance and service reliability