Animut Adis Feleke, Temesgen Kabeta, Naji mohammed
Background: Identifying pathological and normal physiological changes in pregnant women is among the responsibility of focused antenatal care which laboratory services share it. Focused antenatal care laboratory service is a unit of laboratory in which pregnant women’s samples analyzed to detect pathogen or pregnancy-related metabolic change (anemia, gestational diabetes).
Method: Case study Evaluation design using both qualitative and quantitative methods was employed at public health facilities of Jimma town from May 03 to 2021. Donabedian’s Structure-Process-Outcome model was used. A total of 414 admitted clients were included by consecutive sampling technique. Moreover, 81 client-provider interactions, 81 clients’ charts, one year selected documents and 14 key informants were included. Simple and multivariable linear regression analysis techniques were used. Qualitative data were analyzed manually and presented as triangulation with the quantitative results. The overall quality of the service was determined based on judgmental criteria.
In-depth interviews, client surveys, document reviews, observation, and resource inventory were methods of data collection. Availability, compliance, and satisfactions were the dimension of this study. All health facilities in Jimma town were included. Consecutively sampled 414 pregnant women were included in the survey. SPSS version 26 was used for quantitative data analysis while qualitative data was analyzed, transcribed, and translated manually. A triangulation of qualitative and quantitative findings was done.
Result: All facilities had tap water and a tanker for water storage as a backup, five of them had a generator as a backup for the electric interruption, all had a microscope and only referral and the general hospital had a CBC analyzer. 5 health facilities professionals disinfect the working area and all professionals put on personal protective equipment before starting routine activities, no professionals conducted internal quality control for focused antenatal care laboratory reagents and kit on observation session, from 414 pregnant women 223(53.6%) were satisfied with overall laboratory service.
Conclusion and recommendation: The overall quality of laboratory service for focused antenatal care follow-up pregnant women was judged as good. Improving the quality of laboratory service needs integrated effort form all lab personnel, the town health department, the Oromia health Bureau, the Oromia regional lab, and the federal ministry of health.