Background: Determining the performance level of hemodialysis facilities, including an evaluation of biological tests, is a prerequisite for quality assessment of these healthcare structures.
Objective: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the compliance and adequacy of biological tests performed in 2014 in Center-East Tunisia hemodialysis units.
Methods: Data were collected using an analysis grid for 15 biological indicators including 11 process items and four results items used to determine the compliance and adequacy rates respectively.
Results: This study included 660 hemodialysis patients (sex ratio 1.16; mean age 53.9±15.32 years). A low level of compliance was noted for several biological tests (blood glucose: 0.8%; hemoglobin 34.5%). The rate of adequacy of the biological results was insufficient, especially for anemia (32.7%) and calcium-phosphorus surveillance (41.8%). Intercenter and inter-region variability was noted, both for compliance and for adequacy of biological tests.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated low compliance of biological tests performed for hemodialysis patients and the non-adequacy of the results obtained. It is thus urgent to institute a quality management system for biological tests performed in hemodialysis units.
Keywords: Audit médical; Biological tests; Dialyse rénale; Examens biologiques; Healthcare quality; Hemodialysis; Hemodialysis units; Indicateurs qualité santé; Medical audit; Quality of care indicators; Qualité des soins de santé; Tunisia; Tunisie; Unités hospitalières d’hémodialyse.
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