Conference Abstract | Volume 9, Abstract 071 (ConfProc7) | Published: 23 Jul 2026
Nathan Antwi1,&, Christopher Nkrumah2
1National Public Health and Reference Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana, 2Jhpiego Corporation, Accra, Ghana
&Corresponding author: Nathan Antwi; Public Health and Reference Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana, Email: nathan.antwi@ghs.gov.gh
Received: 29 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 23 Jul 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Quality, Phlebotomist, Clients, Communication
©Nathan Antwi et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Nathan Antwi et al. Gap analysis of phlebotomist-client communication on blood collection procedures at National Public Health and Reference Laboratory. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):071. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0071
Quality communication between phlebotomists and clients is the cornerstone of patient-centred laboratory services. To enhance service quality, National Public Health and Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) uses customer surveys to identify client needs and satisfaction. Although the overall rating per the quality indicators is achieved, the issue of phlebotomist-clients communication over the years remains a challenge and affected the ratings in customer satisfaction. This study sought to conduct a baseline assessment for technical staff on phlebotomist-client communication procedures, train staff to improve client interactions and to develop a job aid to guide effective communication.
A descriptive study design was employed. A structured questionnaire was administered to the NPHRL technical staff to communication practices and adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Training staff was done using the phlebotomy competence assessment tool, reinforcement of SOP-guided procedures and the development of job aids on communication with clients.
Of the 15 participants in the baseline survey, 11 (73.3%) were female and 4 (26.7%) males. All 15 participants (100%) admitted the presence of SOP, 93% reported familiarity with SOP for phlebotomy, 60% had been assessed for communication competency, 13 (87%) agreed to the SOP having a defined communication guide and 10 (67%) responded that clients anxiety affects their communication with them. 18 participants were involved in the training. All participants completed pre and post-tests with mean pre-test score of 44 (88%) and mean post-test score of 50 (100%).
The baseline assessment revealed inconsistencies in communication practices among phlebotomists despite the existence of SOPs, primarily attributed to limited competency assessments and the absence of standardized communication guidelines. After the training, all participants achieved full scores, indicating increased awareness, professionalism and application of client-centered communication skills. Continuous training and monitoring are essential to sustain these improvements and uphold high standards in client-centered care.
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