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Corruption: An Impediment to Delivering Pathology and Laboratory Services in Resource-Limited Settings
Emily H Glynn1, Timothy Amukele2, Taryn Vian3
1Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Insights
Corruption in health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), impacts pathology and laboratory medicine (PALM) services. This review identifies common corruption risks affecting PALM delivery.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Systems Research
- Medical Laboratory Science
Background:
- Corruption is a significant challenge in the health sectors of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Understanding specific corruption risks within pathology and laboratory medicine (PALM) services is crucial but underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a critical review of existing literature on health sector corruption in LMICs.
- To identify and examine the types of corruption affecting the delivery of PALM services.
- To provide context by categorizing laboratory-related fraud and abuse in the United States.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review of medical research focusing on health sector corruption in LMICs.
- Analysis of identified corruption types relevant to PALM service delivery.
- Comparative contextualization using US-based laboratory fraud and abuse cases.
Main Results:
- Identified forms of corruption impacting PALM services in LMICs include informal payments, absenteeism, theft and diversion of resources, kickbacks, self-referral, and fraudulent billing.
- These corrupt practices can significantly hinder the equitable and efficient provision of essential laboratory diagnostics.
Conclusions:
- Corruption is a pervasive issue in LMICs, impeding access to legally entitled health services and resources.
- Further research is essential to quantify the extent of corruption in PALM and to inform the development of targeted anticorruption strategies.
Objectives:
Corruption is a widely acknowledged problem in the health sector of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, little is known about the types of corruption that affect the delivery of pathology and laboratory medicine (PALM) services. This review is a first step at examining corruption risks in PALM.
Methods:
We performed a critical review of medical literature focused on health sector corruption in LMICs. To provide context, we categorized cases of laboratory-related fraud and abuse in the United States.
Results:
Forms of corruption in LMICs that may affect the provision of PALM services include informal payments, absenteeism, theft and diversion, kickbacks, self-referral, and fraudulent billing.
Conclusions:
Corruption represents a functional reality in many LMICs and hinders the delivery of services and distribution of resources to which individuals and entities are legally entitled. Further study is needed to estimate the extent of corruption in PALM and develop appropriate anticorruption strategies.
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