Quality Management System of Philippine Hospital Laboratories: An Analysis Based on Service Capability and Bed Capacity

Abstract

Laboratories play a critical role in assisting the clinical decisions of physicians in providing reliable results to patients. Laboratory Quality Management Systems (LQMS) is the important element that drives the effective delivery of laboratory services.  However, problems and barriers to QMS implementation still remains a challenge, especially in resource-limited countries. This research aimed to determine the LQMS implementation of Philippine hospital laboratories of Region XII in terms of laboratory service capability and hospital bed capacity. A Quantitative-Descriptive design was employed and respondents were selected through complete enumeration. Fifty-five respondents who were laboratory managers were surveyed, focusing on the 12 Quality System Essentials (QSEs) as building blocks of LQMS. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings of the study showed that majority of hospital laboratories are categorized as tertiary in terms of service capability and most of the hospitals have less than 100 bed capacity. In terms of implementation, primary, secondary, and tertiary laboratories have implemented LQMS to a very high extent, while hospitals with 100 to 500 beds outperformed those with less than 100 bed capacity. Process Management obtained the highest implementation score across all service capability and bed capacity categories, while Facilities and Safety Management obtained the lowest. A significant difference in LQMS implementation in the area of Customer Focus was observed between hospitals with less than 100 and 100 to 500 bed capacities, while no significant difference was observed across all laboratory service capabilities. On the basis of findings, it is recommended that implementation strategies must be applied, monitored, and evaluated by hospital laboratories targeting QSEs that fall behind other essentials. In the area of Customer Focus, the following must be addressed: meeting regulatory requirements; adhering to contracts; effective communication; monitoring customer feedback; and taking proactive steps to address customer concerns.