In hospitals and clinics worldwide, doctors and patients use the results of laboratory tests to make crucial decisions about individual care. At the regional and national levels, accumulated laboratory data help officials make important policy decisions. Still, in many resource-limited settings, laboratory leaders lack the relationships, management structure, and capacity to establish high-quality systems.
To support these leaders, I-TECH, together with the University of Washington (UW) Department of Laboratory Medicine, recently hosted a pilot of the International Laboratory Leadership and Management Workshop for Systems Development.
From 19–30 July, laboratory managers and directors from the Kenya CDC Global Disease Detection program, the Thailand Ministry of Health, China CDC, US/CDC China, and the US/CDC Division of Laboratory Systems, gathered in Seattle to study ways to manage and develop laboratory capacity within broader health systems, and to build on their collective perspective and experience.
The 2-week curriculum was designed around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/World Health Organization training toolkit, a resource for laboratories that has been developed and used in more than 25 countries around the world.
“I-TECH structured the workshop to support local laboratory leaders who are working to improve systems in the face of significant challenges,” says Dr. Bob Martin, I-TECH Director of Laboratory Systems Development. “Our weeks with this dedicated group served as a reminder that laboratory science, and the evidence-based practice it enables, are critical to improving a country’s ability to participate in international health programs. Strong laboratory systems open the door to international health targets—such as reaching Millennium Development Goals and meeting the responsibilities of the International Health Regulations.”
Through tours of the Washington State Public Health Laboratory and the UW Medical Center Laboratories, discussions with program managers at the King County Health Department, and lectures from laboratory management experts, participants explored effective management structures. They discussed the importance of strong relationships between laboratories, health programs, and health care providers, and examined quality-improvement methods that help build and sustain strong clinical and administrative management practices. Participants also discussed how to successfully implement management processes locally.
“This first cohort of laboratory leaders brought with them a great deal of experience, which contributed greatly to the workshop,” says Dr. Martin. “They came away with specific goals and ideas to apply within their local contexts, and we came away with a stronger sense of their needs and challenges as leaders.”
I-TECH is currently preparing to offer a similar, adaptable laboratory leadership and management course to countries worldwide. Dr. Martin is also planning a laboratory management workshop for Guangdong Provincial CDC and China CDC participants, scheduled for mid-October 2010.
