KIT: Point-of-care testing

Strategic tools for the practising manager

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is defined as medical testing at or near the site of patient care. The driving notion behind POCT is to conduct the test conveniently and immediately for the patient.

POCT is accomplished through the use of transportable, portable, and handheld instruments (for instance, blood glucose meter, nerve conduction study device) and test kits (such as CRP, HBA1C, Homocystein, HIV salivary assay). Cheaper, smaller, faster and smarter POCT devices have increased the use of POCT approaches by making it cost-effective for many diseases.

POCT increases the likelihood that the patient, physician and care team will receive the results quicker, which allows for immediate clinical management decisions to be made. POCT includes: blood glucose testing, blood gas and electrolytes analysis, rapid coagulation testing, rapid cardiac markers diagnostics, drugs of abuse screening, and so on.

 

In India, the in-vitro diagnostic market in healthcare delivery is estimated at $1.5 billion, out which POCT is about $30 million. It is growing at 8-10 per cent annually.