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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2010 Mar;60(572):e98-104.
doi: 10.3399/bjgp10X483508.

Patient satisfaction with point-of-care testing in general practice

Caroline O Laurence  1 , Angela Gialamas, Tanya Bubner, Lisa Yelland, Kristyn Willson, Phil Ryan, Justin Beilby; Point of Care Testing in General Practice Trial Management Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Patient satisfaction with point-of-care testing in general practice

Caroline O Laurence et al. Br J Gen Pract. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Point-of-care testing is increasingly being used in general practice to assist GPs in their management of patients with chronic disease. However, patient satisfaction and acceptability of point-of-care testing in general practice has not been widely studied.

Aim: To determine if patients are more satisfied with point-of-care testing than with pathology laboratory testing for three chronic conditions.

Design of study: As part of a large multicentre, randomised, controlled trial assessing the use of point-of-care testing in Australian general practice, satisfaction was measured for patients having pathology testing performed by point-of-care testing devices or pathology laboratories. Patients in the trial were managed by GPs for diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and/or anticoagulant therapy.

Method: Patient satisfaction was measured using level of agreement with a variety of statements at the end of the study with a patient satisfaction questionnaire for both the intervention and control groups. Analysis was performed using a mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) with allowance for clustering at the practice level following Box-Cox transformations of the data to achieve normality.

Results: Overall, intervention patients reported that they were satisfied with point-of-care testing. In comparison with the control group, the intervention group had a higher level of agreement than control patients with statements relating to their satisfaction with the collection process (P<0.001) and confidence in the process (P<0.001). They also viewed point-of-care testing as strengthening their relationship with their GP (P = 0.010) and motivational in terms of better managing their condition (P<0.001).

Conclusion: The results from this trial support patient satisfaction and acceptability of point-of-care testing in a general practice setting.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT diagram showing flow of clusters and participants' progress through the trial.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

  • Near-patient testing in primary care.
    Khunti K. Khunti K. Br J Gen Pract. 2010 Mar;60(572):157-8. doi: 10.3399/bjgp10X483454. Br J Gen Pract. 2010. PMID: 20202359 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

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    1. Laurence C, Gialamas A, Yelland L, et al. A pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the safety, clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and satisfaction with point of care testing in a general practice setting — rationale, design and baseline characteristics. Trials. 2008;9:50. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bubner T, Laurence C, Gialamas A, et al. Effectiveness of point-of-care testing for therapeutic control of chronic conditions: results from the PoCT in General Practice Trial. Med J Aust. 2009;190(11):624–626. - PubMed
    1. Cohen J, Piterman L, McCall L, Segal L. Near-patient testing for serum cholesterol: attitudes of general practitioners and patients, appropriateness, and costs. Med J Aust. 1998;168(12):605–609. - PubMed
    1. Gillam S, Freedman D, Naughton B, et al. An evaluation of near patient testing in general practice. J Eval Clin Pract. 1998;4(2):165–169. - PubMed

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