Point of Care Testing Devices
Testing/Diagnostics
Point Taken by Sarah Michaud
Overview of point-of-care testing, technological challenges, and future opportunities.
The DCA Vantage™ system from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics better manages diabetes patients by enabling quick results and actionable physician-patient conversations at the time of the visit.
Point-of-care testing (POCT) technology provides immediate, portable, and convenient medical diagnostics near the site of patient care. POCT 's near-instantaneous results allow health care providers to make treatment decisions for their patients in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional laboratory diagnostics. Faster test results translate to rapid treatment for patients—which can save lives in critical care scenarios.
POCT: THEN AND NOW
POCT has been around since the 1980s. Early forms of the technology were mainly used for collecting data, such as measuring blood glucose levels. The clinical and operational benefits of POCT were first evident in the operating room. For the management of cardiovascular surgery patients, POCT technology has been an indispensable aid. The technology has advanced to not only coordinate with financial and reimbursement protocols and inform physician-patient communication, but also to integrate with electronic medical records (EMRs) and wireless and Web technologies.
POCT technology is now used in primary care, emergency department, and intensive care environments. Typical assays include blood glucose testing, blood gas and electrolyte analysis, coagulation testing, cardiac marker diagnostics, drug screening, urine dipsticks, pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood analysis, food pathogen screening, hemoglobin diagnostics, infectious disease testing, and cholesterol screening.1 The most common POCTs used in US hospitals include glucose (99%), coagulation (62%), blood gas (50%), chemistry (36%), hematology (28%), urinalysis (15%), and cardiac (3%) diagnostics.2 In short, POC technology is
Point Taken by Sarah Michaud
Overview of point-of-care testing, technological challenges, and future opportunities.
The DCA Vantage™ system from Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics better manages diabetes patients by enabling quick results and actionable physician-patient conversations at the time of the visit.
Point-of-care testing (POCT) technology provides immediate, portable, and convenient medical diagnostics near the site of patient care. POCT 's near-instantaneous results allow health care providers to make treatment decisions for their patients in a shorter amount of time compared to traditional laboratory diagnostics. Faster test results translate to rapid treatment for patients—which can save lives in critical care scenarios.
POCT: THEN AND NOW
POCT has been around since the 1980s. Early forms of the technology were mainly used for collecting data, such as measuring blood glucose levels. The clinical and operational benefits of POCT were first evident in the operating room. For the management of cardiovascular surgery patients, POCT technology has been an indispensable aid. The technology has advanced to not only coordinate with financial and reimbursement protocols and inform physician-patient communication, but also to integrate with electronic medical records (EMRs) and wireless and Web technologies.
POCT technology is now used in primary care, emergency department, and intensive care environments. Typical assays include blood glucose testing, blood gas and electrolyte analysis, coagulation testing, cardiac marker diagnostics, drug screening, urine dipsticks, pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood analysis, food pathogen screening, hemoglobin diagnostics, infectious disease testing, and cholesterol screening.1 The most common POCTs used in US hospitals include glucose (99%), coagulation (62%), blood gas (50%), chemistry (36%), hematology (28%), urinalysis (15%), and cardiac (3%) diagnostics.2 In short, POC technology is
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