Impact of mentoring on the implementation of the quality management system in clinical laboratories in Burkina Faso, West Africa

ABSTRACT

In Burkina Faso, the implementation of the quality management system remains weak in diagnostic laboratories. Integrating mentoring into the life of clinical diagnostic laboratories, a qualified mentor is essential for quality system control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the mentoring process on quality improvement. Mentoring process was implemented at nine laboratories. The process consisted of a one-week mentor stay in the laboratory as one visit, with four in total. The SLIPTA checklist was used as a measurement tool. Two audits were performed (before and after the implementation of the mentoring process. The audit data were analyzed to estimate the effect of mentoring on quality improvement. A score difference of 24.55% was found significant between the two audits (paired Student’s t-test p-value = 0.0002). The variables non-conformities, corrective/preventive actions, and facilities/safety have factored more than eight points between the two audits. However, the management/customer service and information one have only slightly increased (2.27 and 0.63, respectively). Mentoring has improved the quality management system in laboratories. However, some points of the process need to be improved to bring these laboratories toward international accreditation.

KEYWORDS:

• Mentoring
• impact
• clinical biology laboratory
• quality
• management
• SLIPTA

Acknowledgments

• We thank the Ministry of Health for supporting this study.

• The Directorate of Medical Biology Laboratories of the Ministry of Health

Author contributions

All authors participated in the writing and final approval of the manuscript.

• D. Y, I. S., P.D-M. M., C. O.,E.Z, Z. Z., A. S. O., and I. S. participated in the conception/design, data collection/assembly, and analysis/interpretation.

• I.S. provided administrative support and study materials.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency affiliated with the authors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethical considerations

The opinion of an ethics committee was not required. The article is an account of an ongoing process.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by CEA/ITECH-MTV of the Nazi BONI University.