The Compliance and Quality of Biological Examination Requests at the Douala General Hospital
Nda Mefo'o Jean Pierre
Clinical Biology Laboratory – General Hospital Douala, P.O. Box-4856, Douala, Cameroon, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box. 2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Ondoua Jacques Arnauld
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box.-2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Ngene Jean Pierre
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box.-2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Mbosso Teinkela Jean Emmanuel
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box. 2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Ngo Malabo Elodie
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box. 2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Olemba Clémence
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box. 2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Ngoule Charles Christian
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box.-2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Etame Loe Gisèle
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box.-2701, Douala, Cameroon.
Okalla Ebongue Cécile *
Clinical Biology Laboratory – General Hospital Douala, P.O. Box-4856, Douala, Cameroon, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, P.O. Box. 2701, Douala, Cameroon.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Introduction: The prescription of biological examinations is the first step in guaranteeing the quality of the results of the biological analyzes given by the laboratory. Indeed, the irregularity of requests for biological examinations makes it difficult to carry out and interpret the results and also compromises the optimal and rational use of the diagnostic aid tool that is the clinical biology laboratory. The purpose of this study was to assess the compliance and quality of Biological Examinations Requests (BERs) at the Douala General Hospital (DGH)
Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2022 in the clinical biology laboratory department of the DGH. The information provided on each request for examinations was evaluated using a technical sheet containing the evaluation grids of the ISO 15189 standard.
Results: A total of 1765 BERs from 10 known clinical departments and 5.20% (n = 91) with no details on the department were analyzed. Prescriber qualification was absent in 13.31% (n=235), clinical information was notified in 23.79% (n=420), prescriber contact in 2.89% (n=51). The compliance assessment revealed that 49% (n=867) requests were non-compliant. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between non-compliant BERs and the internal medicine department (OR = 0.52 and P-value = 0.038) and medical specialists (OR = 0.576 and P-value = 0.048) with a significant association.
Conclusion: It was observed that the non-compliant BERs lacked information identifying the patient, the prescriber, as well as the examination/sample. The ISO standard recommends the accuracy of this information. Because their absence would make it impossible to carry out the examinations, waste of time searching for the service/prescriber for additional information or for the return of the results. These results suggest an improvement in practices in the prescription of medical biology analyzes at the DGH in particular and in Cameroon in general.
Keywords: Conformity, request for biological examinations, prescriber information