| Author: | Lee, Wan-chi Ala |
| Title: | The perception of laboratory accreditation among clinical laboratory professional working in Hong Kong |
| Degree: | M.Sc. |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations. Laboratories -- Accreditation -- China -- Hong Kong. |
| Department: | Department of Health Technology and Informatics |
| Pages: | viii, 67 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Laboratory accreditation is taken by many as a benchmark of a laboratory's capability to perform specific tests up to a recognized standard. In the medical laboratory profession of Australia and United States, it has long been a mandatory activity for a practicing medical laboratory to obtain recognition from internationally recognized accreditation bodies as a certification of their quality and standards. The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) in Australia, the College of American Pathologist (CAP) in the United States (USA) and Clinical Pathology Accreditation (CPA) of the United Kingdom (UK) are international renowned accreditation bodies, giving formal recognition to the laboratories who are able to perform medical testings up to the internationally recognized standards such as the ISO/IEC 17025 or since 2003, ISO 15189. In Hong Kong (HK), with the public's increasing demand in both the quality and efficiency of the health care system and its providers, the standard of the medical laboratory is one of the critical areas of focus. Some local laboratories have started to work for certification from international accreditation bodies since 1998. Up to the present moment, unlike those in overseas, laboratory accreditation is still operating in a voluntary basis in Hong Kong. In this project, a set of 20 multiple-choice questionnaires was set up with 5 sections to study on the knowledge, readiness and recognition on laboratory accreditation among the local medical laboratory professional. A small size preliminary survey was done to test for the suitability of the questions before the formal distribution of the questionnaires to 250 local medical laboratory staff working in the public and private sectors. A total of 157 returns (response rate 62.8%) were received within 2 weeks' time. The returned data were analyzed with commercial statistic software and the non-parametric Chi-squared statistical tool was employed to verify of the significance in data comparison. A retrospective focus group interview was held to obtain information to support the author's conclusion. The results showed that the majority of the local medical laboratory professionals working in the public sectors were generally well aware of the need in obtaining laboratory accreditation and have actually obtained and planned to obtain the accreditation from overseas or local accreditation bodies. There was also a good understanding that accreditation would be beneificial to the organization and the patient by acting as a means to assure a good laboratory service quality standard, and to continuously uphold the reputation of the laboratory and the laboratory profession. However, for those from the private sector, only a minority of the questionnaires (32 out of 250) could be distributed to them and the response rate was 32%. Among the limited response from the private laboratories, some of them were still in the preliminary planning stage, while some have been accredited against the hospital-based scheme. Laboratory accreditation can be used as a means to assure a standard quality medical laboratory service across the whole territory. Before the launching of a mandatory accreditation exercise in Hong Kong, more information on the setting in the private institutes still need to be pursuit in order to have a more thorough understanding of the current situation in the entire profession. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
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| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b2198993x.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 6.62 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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