Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation, A Model Program for Pathology Laboratory Improvement.

The Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) program and subsequent Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Toward Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist were a response to the need for high-quality laboratories to combat the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and provide patients with the highest-quality care. The two tools work together to create a culture of quality in laboratories and allow the identification of gaps. The ultimate goal for any laboratory is to achieve a standard benchmark for quality and these programs have been highly successful in initially affecting the HIV epidemic but continuously improving laboratory quality across all diseases.

Building Laboratory Capacity to Strengthen Health Systems: The Partners In Health Experience.

The diagnostic laboratory is essential to patient care and to the achievement of health equity. Through the development of quality laboratories in settings burdened by poverty and weak health systems, Partners In Health has demonstrated the critical contributions of clinical laboratories to the care of patients with HIV, tuberculosis, and cancer, among other conditions. The lessons learned through the organization's experience include the importance of well-trained and well-supported staff; reliable access to supplies, reagents, and diagnostic equipment; adequate facilities to provide diagnostic services; the integration of laboratories into networks of care; and accompaniment of the public health sector.