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Review
. 2010 Aug;107(33):561-7.
doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2010.0561. Epub 2010 Aug 20.

Point-of-care testing in hospitals and primary care

Ralf Junker  1 , Harald Schlebusch, Peter B Luppa
Affiliations
Review

Point-of-care testing in hospitals and primary care

Ralf Junker et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2010 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Many medical laboratory tests can now be done near the patient (point-of-care testing, POCT), ranging from basic blood glucose measurement to complex coagulation testing. Switching from conventional laboratory testing to POCT shortens the time to decision-making about further testing or treatment, as delays are no longer caused by specimen transport and preparation, and the test results are rapidly available at the point of care. Better medical outcomes and lower costs may ensue.

Method: Selective literature review.

Results: The available methods and equipment enable persons not specially trained in laboratory medicine to perform high-quality laboratory testing at the point of care, under certain conditions. Before POCT is introduced in a hospital or outpatient practice, a cost-benefit analysis should be performed, because the introduction is costly and requires a certain amount of organizational work especially for quality management. The potential medical and economic benefits should be assessed individually in each case.

Conclusion: POCT for certain applications is a useful complement to conventional laboratory testing. The future utilization of POCT will depend not only on technical advances, but also on developments in costs and reimbursement.

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Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
The data management system is on a separate POCT server and is also used as a control module for the instruments, data and quality management, and reagent administration. The measured values are designated separately as “POCT” and integrated into the cumulative laboratory report (24). The network also permits complete recording of all POCT measurements performed, so that they can be assigned to the appropriate cost centers. The POCT-1-A is becoming increasingly established as the communication protocol for newly developed systems. Network software may be purchased from the manufacturers of diagnostic materials and is then system specific. Alternatively, it may be purchased from other firms and can then be used for several systems (25).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Luppa PB, Schlebusch H, editors. Springer Medizin Verlag. Heidelberg: 2008. POCT - Patientennahe Labordia-gnostik.
    1. Stürenburg E, Junker R. Point-of-care testing in Microbiology [Patientennahe Diagnostik in der Mikrobiologie: Chancen und Risiken immunchromatografischer Teststreifen] Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2009;106(4):48–54. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Price CP, Kricha LJ. Improving health care acceessibility through point-of-care technologies. Clin Chem. 2007;53:1665–1675. - PubMed
    1. Kristensen GBB, Christensen NG, Thue G, Sandberg S. Between-lot variation of external quality assessment of glucose: clinical importance and effect on participant performance evaluation. Clin Chem. 2005;51:1632–1636. - PubMed
    1. Koschinsky T, Wahl HG. Springer Medizin Verlag. Heidelberg: 2008. Glukosebestimmung und Diabetesdiagnostik mittels POCT In: Luppa PB, Schlebusch H. POCT-Patientennahe Labordiagnostik; pp. 253–266.

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