Faster results, better care: The rising importance of point-of-care testing

The importance of point of care testing (POCT) is no new thing. Recent technological advances, including the miniaturization of electronics, have made it possible to provide a more convenient and efficient level of care to patients.¹

With a growing need for providers to adopt more of a patient-centric approach, POCT can offer patients improved access to rapid diagnostics and medical tests that support timely clinical decisions.¹ This, in turn, enables medical professionals to deliver more targeted care and potentially allows underserved populations to access the support they need.¹

But this is just scratching the surface of the benefits that POCT can offer. Here we highlight the importance of POCT by taking a look at some real-life examples of the impact it’s had across different clinical settings, including primary care. 

Point of care testing, often referred to as POC testing, near-patient testing, or simply POCT, is testing that is carried out either at—or near—the site of patient care by a specially trained medical professional.² These tests normally involve blood and urine testing and can be carried out in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, care homes, pharmacies, homes, or general practices.^2,3

The ultimate goal of POCT is to obtain accurate results in a way that’s convenient for patients.² This approach helps deliver results more quickly, allowing clinicians to diagnose, monitor, and treat patients in a more timely manner.^1,2

There are a wide variety of medical devices and equipment used to carry out POCT, including blood glucose meters, urinalysis devices, and rapid test kits for infectious disease markers, and they are becoming more and more important as time goes on.^3–5

In England, for example, the NHS has created a Long Term Plan largely centered around integrating POCT devices within the healthcare system.⁴ This decade-long health plan has not only highlighted the importance of patients receiving care closer to home but also expressed a need for a more adaptive, community-based approach—one that shifts away from the traditional model of hospital-based services.⁴

But, in order to do this effectively, POCT devices need to be:⁴

• Fit for their intended purpose 
• Easy to operate and about their functions
• Maintained in a safe and reliable condition

Being fully compliant with the relevant legal and regulatory requirements is also essential for POCT devices to deliver on both safety and effectiveness. The World Health Organization, for instance, set out its “ASSURED” guidelines back in 2006 to ensure all POCT devices are Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid, Robust, Equipment-free, and Delivered (to the end-user).⁵ Similarly, the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry has also established guidelines which emphasize the importance of delivering rapid results and ensuring all devices used are cost-effective.^1,6

For further information on what you need to successfully carry out POCT, discover Dr. Barbara Goldsmith’s insights in one of our previous articles.

The ability to perform POCT both in and out of the hospital has already provided healthcare providers and patients with a wide range of benefits. 

In England, for example, a hospital in Cornwall—known as the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust—partnered with the Cornwall Foundation NHS Trust to explore ways to provide access to patients who would otherwise need to travel long distances.⁷ This triggered the installation of several new hematology analyzers across both acute and community settings throughout the area.⁷

As a result, clinicians were able to access a compact, user-friendly device capable of distinguishing between bacterial and viral illnesses. This, in turn, provided patients with "rapid results delivered in just four minutes" and eliminated the need to travel to the main hospital in Cornwall for diagnostic tests or treatment.⁷

The ability of POCT to provide timely diagnosis and treatment has also proven beneficial for patients with various medical conditions.⁸ Whether through rapid C-reactive protein (CRP) testing equipment, immunofluorescence testers, biosensors, or protein chip technology, each form of POCT can help detect conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis.⁸

However, POCT is also showing a lot of potential in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric issues. The nature of POCT enables parents to be with their children at all times and provides them with the ability to better communicate with the medical staff involved in their child’s care.⁸ This can further nurture the patient-provider dynamic, allowing parents to fully understand the meaning of the results they receive.⁸

The flexibility of POCT also allows for testing both in and out of the hospital, including at home or in specialized outdoor or on-site locations.⁸ This again makes it particularly valuable for pediatric patients, as well as several other patient populations.⁹

Ultimately, however, the key benefits of POCT stem from its ability to provide rapid test results, enable faster clinical decision-making, and reduce overall care costs for both patients and providers.^1,8 This can have a positive knock-on effect across a number of areas, from enhancing patient satisfaction to reducing the need for antibiotic use.¹

While some providers may still view point of care testing as time- and labor-intensive, recent technological advances are helping to change that perspective and encourage patient-centricity.

By combining real-time test result access with advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, and electronic health record storage, healthcare providers can offer patients more immediate, tailored care while improving diagnostic accuracy.¹⁰ This integration can then promote a more proactive approach to healthcare management, making it easier to identify any current inefficiencies and ultimately leading to more personalized treatments.¹⁰

Take a look at our recent article to learn more about how advances in digital technology are making point of care testing and smart labs more connected than ever.