M.B.A. / Laboratories have historically been required to demonstrate competence to test or calibrate against a scope of accreditation that details specific tests and/or measurements in order to ensure equivalence of technical output. The international standardisation community appears to believe that greater focus on quality system elements will contribute to increased confidence in the work performed by organisations that implement them. Unfortunately, a valid system only guarantees consistent output. The potential danger of laboratory tests that are consistent but wrong is too great to be ignored. These fundamentally conflicting philosophies of competence versus compliance are now being combined into one document, the recent revision of ISOIIEC Guide 25 into the ISOIIEC FDIS 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. In preparing for the change to the new standard, smaller laboratories are faced with a potential disproportionate increase in documentation requirements even though their demonstrated competence is already accepted internationally. The primary aim of this research is to determine if there are differences between implementation of the revised standard in a smaller laboratory to that of the larger laboratory that should be considered in order to ensure that the smaller facility is not subject to a potential technical barrier to trade. As part of the research, a questionnaire was created and distributed to test assumptions about the current knowledge of quality requirements within laboratories, the value obtained to date with implementing such systems and the ability of the laboratory staff to cope with more in-depth or any additional quality criteria that might be introduced...

The purpose of the project was to develop an electronic resource that would provide a tutorial for students and offer opportunities for practice of measurement skills.

In Tanzania laboratory services were observed to be not providing the quality of services required. It is assumed that the perceived discrepancy between malaria diagnosis and confirming laboratory result might be attributed to incompetence of health personnel. Objective The objective of this research was to explore the competence and extend to which health personnel in Muhimbli hospital comply with procedural norms in malaria diagnosis. Methodology A quantitative approach of explorative descriptive design was used. A survey was done using observation guidelines based on existing policies and norms. Actual practice of malaria diagnosis compared with the policies and procedural norms. Result The data revealed that health personnel are not competence in malaria diagnosis. Conclusion Competence of health personnel is important in malaria diagnosis, a special guideline should be developed and in-service training be implemented to minimize errors in reporting for malaria investigation. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)

In Tanzania laboratory services were observed to be not providing the quality of services required. It is assumed that the perceived discrepancy between malaria diagnosis and confirming laboratory result might be attributed to incompetence of health personnel. Objective The objective of this research was to explore the competence and extend to which health personnel in Muhimbli hospital comply with procedural norms in malaria diagnosis. Methodology A quantitative approach of explorative descriptive design was used. A survey was done using observation guidelines based on existing policies and norms. Actual practice of malaria diagnosis compared with the policies and procedural norms. Result The data revealed that health personnel are not competence in malaria diagnosis. Conclusion Competence of health personnel is important in malaria diagnosis, a special guideline should be developed and in-service training be implemented to minimize errors in reporting for malaria investigation. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)