title: Building capacity in laboratory medicine in Africa by increasing physician involvement: a laboratory medicine course for clinicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a 4-day laboratory medicine course for clinicians given at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, designed to improve the use of laboratory-based diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each day was dedicated to one of the following topics: hematology, blood bank/transfusion medicine and coagulation, chemistry, and microbiology. The course included lectures, case-based learning, laboratory tours, and interactive computer case-based homework. The same 12-question knowledge quiz was given before and after the course.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight participants took the quiz before and 21 after completing the course. The average score was 5.28 (range, 2-10) for the initial quiz and 8.09 (range, 4-11) for the second quiz (P = .0001). Two of 12 and 8 of 12 questions were answered correctly by more than 60% of trainees on the initial and second quiz, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge and awareness of the role of the laboratory increased after participation in the course. Understanding of laboratory medicine principles by clinicians will likely improve use of laboratory services and build capacity in Africa.
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and jguarne@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guarner
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD;
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amukele
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Black Lion Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
authors.forename: Meheretu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehari
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
authors.forename: Tufa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gemechu
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
authors.forename: Yimtubezinash
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Woldeamanuel
authors.affiliation: From the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Asrat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Colorado, Denver; and.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, Atlanta, GA. Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA;
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: del Rio
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D004501:Education, Medical; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D010338:Pathology, Clinical / Q000193:education*; D010820:Physicians; D016730:Program Development
keywords: Africa; Case-based learning; Clinical pathology; Clinician education; Laboratory medicine; Medical Education Partnership Initiative