ABSTRACT
Setting : The tuberculosis control programme in Khon Kaen province, North East Thailand.Objective : To develop a tool for supervisor to easily assess the quality of screening for tuberculosis suspects in peripheral health units.Methods : Field exploration, tool development and field testing by researchers and health professionals.Results : A tested supervisor tool measuring the proportion smear positive tuberculosis suspects and the proportions suspects with two and three smears examined, indicative for screening performance. Defined acceptable levels of performance and remedial action to be taken.Conclusion : The tool is simple to use by the supervisors, is acceptable to supervisees and stimulates to self assessment and improvement.Key words : tuberculosis, tool, supervision, screening, district hospital
ABSTRACT
Setting : District hospital laboratories and reference Zonal Tuberculosis Control Centre Laboratory in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.Objective : To develop a peripheral laboratory quality control tool of tuberculosis sputum smear examinationMethods : Health systems research. First exploratory research and tool design, later analysis of tool application in the routine control programme.Results : A system of laboratory quality control consisting of re-examinaiton of a sample of slides, using the lot quality assurance sampling technique was created. Two indicators are measured : the proportion poorly prepared slides and the jproportion incorreclty read slides. Difficulties in applying the tool are described.Conclusion : A tool for quality control of tuberculosis sputum smear examination in peripheral laboratories has been developed and tested, and found useful to improve the quality of peripheral laboratories in Khon Kaen, Thailand.Key words : tuberculosis, tool, sputum smear examination, quality control, laboratory
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Setting : Nineteen district hospital laboratories and a reference Zonal Tuberculosis control Centre laboratory in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Objective : To assess the performance of sputum smear examinations by peripheral laboratory technicians in their own work setting. Design : Exploratory study. 19 district hospital laboratories were asked to submit monthly a sample of sputum slides that were examined during 1990 and 1991. These slides were reexamined by a reference laboratory technician. The reading results were compared and the influence of slide preparation on the reading result was analyzed. Results : In a sample of 1057 slides the agreement in reading results between the reference and peripheral laboratories was 94% However, 39% of slides were not prepared well in sputum collection, smearing or staining. Among the slides with good sputum but with poor smearing or staining a significantly different proportion of positive slides were found compared with the well prepared slides when examined by the reference laboratory. The authors speculate that technicians in the district and reference laboratories make the same mistakes in reading these poorly prepared slides, so that a high agreement in results does not guarantee good performance. Conclusion : Not only agreement in reading results but also the proportion well prepared slides is and important indicator for peripheral laboratory performance. Keyword : tuberculosis, performance, sputum smear examination, district hospitalRequest for reprints :
ABSTRACT
Background: A student’s emotional quotient (EQ) plays as important a role as his/her intelligence quotient (IQ) when it comes to superior learning performance. Surveying the EQ among Khon Kaen medical students may help in determining how : 1) to develop EQ and 2) to improve the overall program and post-graduation live-a-day success.Objective : To assess the EQ among medical students at Khon Kaen University.Methodology : This was a cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study performed on 350 medical students, selected by systematic random sampling. The information gathering instrument was a questionnaire on EQ provided by the Department of Mental Health.Analysis : The data analysis of 330 questionnaires was accomplished by using descriptive and analytical statistics.Results : The average respective EQ and good , intellectual and happiness domains were 169.09±14.65, 60±7, 56.6±6.3 and 60±7. Most of the students were in the normal or higher range. Curiously, in the happiness domain and responsibility subdomain, the percentage of students in the higher range were the lowest of all the parameters. There was no significant association between sex, year of study in the MD program and EQ. Two-thirds of the respondents indicated that they would like to participate in an EQ improvement program should one were held.Conclusion: According to the data, the average EQ and good, intellectual and happiness domains were higher than the normal means used to indicate the potential for success of medical students, as approved by the Department of Mental Health. It means compare to or relating to someone or something. Vis-à-vis the word is a preposition (like above, in, on, under etc.) e.g.Our students’ marks are quite good Vis-à-vis the national averages. The lowest of the happiness domain Vis-à-vis responsibility subdomain should be targeted for the remediation.Keywords : Medical Students, Emotional Quotient