Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfProc7): Abstract 089 | Published: 06 Oct 2026
Stebleson Azure1,&, Bernard Nkrumah2, Richard Kutame3, Gifty Boateng3, Charles Quaye4, Evan Ayamdooh5
1Tamale Public Health and Reference Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Tamale, 2African Field Epidemiology Network, Accra, Ghana, 3National Public Health and Reference Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana, 4Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, 5Veterinary Services Directorate, Tamale, Ghana.
&Corresponding author: Stebleson Azure, Tamale Public Health and Reference Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Tamale, Email: stebleson.azure@ghs.gov.gh
Received: 29 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 06 Oct 2026
Domain: Laboratory Systems Strengthening
This is part of the Proceedings of the 8th Ghana FELTP Scientific Conference and FELTP Competency Graduation, Accra, Ghana, 10 – 11 December, 2025
Keywords: Audit programs, laboratory quality, compliance, international standards, quality management system
©Stebleson Azure 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: Stebleson Azure et al. Evaluating the effectiveness of audit programs in ensuring compliance with International Standards in Medical Laboratories in the Northern Part of Ghana. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):089. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0089
Effective audit programs improve compliance with international standards, reduce errors, and enhance patient safety. However, challenges and limitations remain, especially in resource-limited settings. This study assessed the effectiveness of audit programs in improving laboratory quality and ensuring adherence to international standards in selected medical laboratories in northern Ghana.
A retrospective study was conducted on six medical laboratories participating in the Ghana Health Service Laboratory Quality Management System mentorship program. Data were extracted from Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Toward Accreditation (SLIPTA) audit reports and audit program documentation. We evaluated the status of laboratory audit programs, assessed their effectiveness, and identified challenges that hindered implementation. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare compliance scores among laboratories with different levels of implementation. A p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
There was a positive association between audit program rigor and laboratory performance scores. Laboratories with fully implemented audit programs yielded the highest mean scores (M = 65.20, SD = 28.10), while partially implemented or no audit programs scored lower (M = 24.62, SD = 24.52). Resolving non-conformities significantly improved audit scores (β = 0.697, p < 0.001). Only 33.0% (2/6) of the laboratories fully implemented their audit program.
The study emphasizes the significance of audit programs in improving laboratory quality and ensuring compliance. Laboratories that fully implemented their audit programs and addressed non-conformities achieved significantly higher compliance scores. The findings have implications for laboratory quality management and indicate that audit programs should be a fundamental part of any quality improvement effort.
Menu