[Medical laboratories and quality of care: the most neglected components of rural hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]. / Laboratoires médicaux et qualité des soins: la partie la plus négligée au niveau des hôpitaux ruraux de la République Démocratique du Congo.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Quality of care is essential to save people living with different diseases. However, inappropriate diagnosis may in no case lead to proper patient management as well as to quality of care. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive analysis in three laboratories at the General Hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. METHODS: A team of national experts in the field of laboratories conducted a survey in the three clinical laboratories of the General Hospitals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Observations, visits and structured interviews using a questionnaire were used to assess the performance of these clinical laboratories. We also used a national evaluation guidance for the assessment of laboratories. RESULTS: The clinical laboratories of the General Hospitals visited showed many deficits, in particular, in infrastructures, in the basic and continuous training of the personnel, in the equipment, in supervision and quality control. Technical performances of these laboratories were not adapted to meet the needs of the population with regard to diseases frequently encountered in these areas. We also noted that these laboratories are little or almost not assisted and that there was no coordination team dedicated to the supervision and the assessment of laboratories in the hospital or even in the health zone. In addition, technicians working in their different laboratories had not been supervised over many years. CONCLUSION: Clinical laboratory improvement would allow for proper diagnosis of different diseases. This improvement should take into account local diseases. Within the system, it is important to devote more attention to clinical laboratories. Advocacy for this neglected component of the health system is necessary, as this situation could be the same in many developing countries.