POLICY ENGAGEMENT

Handbook developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the gaps identified in existing point-of-care testing programs and to implement key innovative activities for sustainable high-quality HIV rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) within laboratory and non-laboratory settings.

The handbook emphasizes the concept of the quality assurance cycle, a three-phased process to assist countries in planning, implementing, and sustaining quality assurance programs for HIV rapid testing and related point of care testing (POCT) within existing national QA/QI frameworks while implementing innovative measures and approaches.

Framework developed in collaboration with the African Society of Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the Clinical laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and Cheikh Anta Diop University.

The framework is designed to provide guidance in establishing and/or strengthening national certification programs for POCT site and tester as recommended in the WHO handbook, HIV Diagnostics: Improving the Quality of HIV-Related Point-of-Care Testing: Ensuring the Reliability and Accuracy of Test Results. It aims to inform the development of policies, processes and procedures for implementation of national certification programs for POCT tester and site.

This checklist was developed to help gather baseline data of the key areas identified thru RTCQI which serve to develop a framework for strategic planning, create work plans and determine timelines and budgets.

In addition, the checklist will allow monitoring of the progress throughout the implementation of activities related to the key Quality Improvement (QI) areas.