Pointofcare Testing
Medical health research papers that focus on point-of-care testing often examine various treatments and how they were tested for.
Point-of-care testing (POCT), which is also known as bed-side testing, is any medical test done at or near the site of a patient's care. Point-of-care testing can refer to any of the following:
- Simple blood tests
- Urine test strips
- Ultrasound test using a portable machine
The main reason for point-of-care testing is to provide medical service that is convenient to the patient and immediate, resulting in quicker results. Most point-of-care testing is provided through portable, hand held instruments.
Benefits to Point-Of-Care Testing
There are numerous benefits to point-of-care testing. The most immediate benefit occurs when the POCT machine is coupled with electronic medical records. This allows for rapid results and interpretation by medical professionals. Such procedures have been put in place worldwide, and the use of POCT in disaster situations has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality.
There are also several challenges in presenting point-of-care testing.
- The management of POCT in the hospital setting has proven to be the biggest challenge.
- There is the potential for there to be dozens of POCT sites and literally hundreds of devices within a hospital, all used by thousands of individuals in larger settings.
- Managing this massive system, providing training for all involved, and making sure that all members are following standard procedures, including machine calibration and maintenance, have proven difficult to hospital administrators.