{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,11]],"date-time":"2025-12-11T20:37:02Z","timestamp":1765485422711,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2010,1,12]],"date-time":"2010-01-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1263254400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,1,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Purpose<\/jats:title><jats:p>In Thailand nearly 1,000 public health laboratories serve 65 million people. A qualified indicator of a good quality laboratory is Thailand Medical Technology Council certification. Consequently, Chiang Rai Regional Medical Sciences Center established a development program for laboratory certification for 29 laboratories in the province. This paper seeks to examine this issue.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>The goal was to improve laboratory service quality by voluntary participation, peer review, training and compliance with standards. The program consisted of specific activities. Training and workshops to update laboratory staffs' quality management knowledge were organized. Staff in each laboratory performed a self\u2010assessment using a standard check\u2010list to evaluate ten laboratory management areas. Chiang Rai Regional Medical Sciences Center staff supported the distribution of quality materials and documents. They provided calibration services for laboratory equipment. Peer groups performed an internal audit and successful laboratories received Thailand Medical Technology Council certification.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>By December 2007, eight of the 29 laboratories had improved quality sufficiently to be certified. Factors that influenced laboratories' readiness for quality improvement included the number of staff, their knowledge, budget and staff commitment to the process. Moreover, the support of each hospital's laboratory working group or network was essential for success.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>There was no clear policy for supporting the program<jats:bold>.<\/jats:bold> Laboratories voluntarily conducted quality management using existing resources.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Practical implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>A bottom\u2010up approach to this kind of project can be difficult to accomplish. Laboratory professionals can work together to illustrate and highlight outcomes for top\u2010level health officials. A top\u2010down, practical approach would be much less difficult to implement.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>Quality certification is a critical step for laboratory staff, which also encourages them to aspire to international quality standards like ISO. The certification program is an important mechanism for addressing inadequate knowledge, budget, planning, policy and staff required to improve laboratory services.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/09526861011010659","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2010,1,23]],"date-time":"2010-01-23T07:03:33Z","timestamp":1264230213000},"page":"22-34","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Laboratory quality improvement in Thailand's northernmost provinces"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"S.","family":"Kanitvittaya","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"U.","family":"Suksai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"O.","family":"Suksripanich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"V.","family":"Pobkeeree","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b1","unstructured":"Association of Medical Technologists of Thailand (AMTT) (2004), Thailand Medical Technology Standards, Paramat Garnpim Publisher, Bangkok."},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bates, I. and Maitland, K. (2006), \u201cAre laboratory services coming of age in Sub\u2010Saharan Africa?\u201d, Clinical Infectious Disease, Vol. 42, pp. 383\u20104.","DOI":"10.1086\/499368"},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b3","unstructured":"Bunyaratvej, A. (1998), \u201cLaboratory accreditation in Thailand, the present status and future aspects\u201d, Sysmex Journal International, Vol. 8 No. 2, pp. 82\u20105."},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chalermchan, W., Pitak, S. and Sungkawasee, S. (2007), \u201cEvaluation of Thailand national external quality assessment on HIV testing\u201d, International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 130\u201040.","DOI":"10.1108\/09526860710731825"},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b5","unstructured":"Constantine, N.T., Saville, R.D. and Dax, E. (2005), Retroviral Testing and Quality Assurance, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD."},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b6","unstructured":"Dax, E. (1995), Report on Evaluation and Quality Assurance of HIV Test Kits in Thailand, WHO SEARO Report and AusAID, Nonthaburi, April."},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b7","unstructured":"Department of Health Service Support (DHSS) (2007), Guidelines for Secondary and Tertiary Health Services System, DHSS, Nonthaburi, August."},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fritzen, A.S. (2007), \u201cStrategic management of the health workforce in developing countries: what have we learned?\u201d, Human Resources for Health, BioMed Central, available at: www.human\u2010resources\u2010health.com\/content\/5\/1\/4.","DOI":"10.1186\/1478-4491-5-4"},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Martin, R., Hearn, T.L., Ridderhof, J.C. and Demby, A. (2005), \u201cImplementation of a quality system approach for laboratory practice in resource\u2010constrained countries\u201d, AIDS, Vol. 19, supplement, pp. 59\u201065.","DOI":"10.1097\/01.aids.0000172878.20628.a8"},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b10","unstructured":"National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) (2002), A Quality System Model for Health Care; Approved Guidelines, NCCLS Document HS1\u2010A Wayne, NCCLS, Wayne, PA."},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pine, M., Jones, B. and Lou, Y.B. (1998), \u201cLaboratory values improve predictions of hospital mortality\u201d, International Journal of Quality in Health Care, Vol. 10 No. 6, pp. 491\u2010501.","DOI":"10.1093\/intqhc\/10.6.491"},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Valenstein, N.P., Souers, R. and Wilkinson, S.D. (2005), \u201cStaffing benchmarks for clinical laboratories\u201d, Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Vol. 129, pp. 467\u201073.","DOI":"10.5858\/2005-129-467-SBFCLA"},{"key":"key2022012220475847900_b13","unstructured":"WHO (2003), Quality Assurance in Health Laboratory Services: A Status Report, South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) Document, World Health Organization, Geneva, March, p. 28."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emeraldinsight.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1108\/09526861011010659","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/09526861011010659\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/09526861011010659\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T00:29:29Z","timestamp":1753403369000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/ijhcqa\/article\/23\/1\/22-34\/129523"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2010,1,12]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2010,1,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/09526861011010659"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/09526861011010659","relation":{},"ISSN":["0952-6862"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0952-6862"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2010,1,12]]}}}