Impact of malaria diagnostic refresher training programme on competencies and skills in malaria diagnosis among medical laboratory professionals: evidence from Ghana 2015–2019

Malaria Journal

Duah Dwomoh¹  Mary Tetteh²  Justice Nonvignon³  Edward King Kupeh⁴  Keziah Malm⁵  Alexander Asamoah⁵ 

[1]Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

[2]Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

[3]Ghana Health Service, District Hospital, Begoro, Ghana

[4]Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

[5]Health Economics, Systems and Policy Research Group, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana

[6]Ghana Health Service, Tema Polyclinic, Tema, Ghana

[7]Ghana National Malaria Control Programme, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana

关键词: Malaria;    Microscopy;    Malaria Diagnostic Refresher Training;    Medical Laboratory Professionals;    Ghana;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12936-021-03796-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe quality of malaria test results is crucial for optimal patient treatment and care. The Ghana Health Service is successfully shifting from presumptive clinical diagnosis and treatment of malaria to the Test, Treat and Track (T3) initiative. In line with the initiative, the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) set out to improve the capacity of medical laboratory professionals in Ghana through a five-day Malaria Diagnostic Refresher Training (MDRT) to build competencies and skills in malaria diagnosis, especially in the three components of microscopy: parasite detection, species identification and parasite quantification. This study evaluates the impact of the training on malaria microscopy.MethodsThe training which was based on the World Health Organization basic malaria microscopy training guide employed presentations and practical approaches to malaria diagnosis. A total number of 765 medical laboratory professionals from various health facilities across the country were trained every other year from 2015 to 2019 and were included in this evaluation. Evaluation of this training was done using pre-test and post-test microscopy scores. The Negative Binomial fixed effect model was used in determining the overall effect of the training in improving the competencies of the participants on malaria microscopy.ResultsThe ability of the medical laboratory professionals to correctly detect malaria parasites increased significantly from a median score of 64% prior to the training to 87% after the training (p < 0.001). The competencies of the medical laboratory scientists to correctly identify malaria parasite species and quantify the number of malaria parasites increased significantly from a median score of 17% and 20% pre-test to 78% and 50% post-test, respectively (p < 0.001). The results showed that participants’ competency level and skill to perform malaria microscopy (species identification, parasite quantification and detection of malaria parasites) increased by approximately two folds after the training compared to the no-training scenario (adjusted rate ratio = 2.07, 95% CI 2.01–2.13, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe MDRT programme significantly improved participants’ performance of malaria microscopy over a short period of time.

【 授权许可】

CC BY