Point-of-Care

Point of care testing is testing taken away from the centralized laboratory. Past success of POC testing relied on the development of tests that use user-friendly techniques and alternative samples. For the next five years and beyond a measure of success will depend on the addition of value added dimensions to POC tests. This is already on progress; almost all new high-end glucose monitoring devices also offer software and connectivity that allows diabetics to better manage their health.

In the OTC segment, a myriad of test services for HbA1c, paternity, coagulation, and other tests provide physician consultation.

This value added aspect of POC testing will become even more essential as the menu for POC tests expands with the availability of more tests for cancer and cardiovascular diseases. These test results are more complex and need the support of professional guidance.

In the meantime, investments in high technology made during the 1990s will begin to find commercial appeal in the next five years and will spawn a new genre of POC diagnostic tests and devices. These technological advances will interact with a number of enabling healthcare delivery trends to change the face of clinical diagnostics and the economics of healthcare in general.

Industry professionals anticipate that patient self-testing will skyrocket because of rising consumer expectations, technological innovations, and the surge of consumer activism in healthcare. Further pharmacies, retail outlets and the physician office are establishing their position for patient wellness screening. As the cost of POC devices becomes more affordable and healthcare organizations have constructed data management infrastructures, point-of-care testing has also become an attractive operational and economical alternative to traditional laboratory-based testing in a variety of situations, including physician office testing, home care and in-hospital care.