The demand for POCT continues to rise as manufacturers further develop POCT devices and expand the variety of tests that are available. POCT has generally been seen as a way to provide basic pathology testing in situations where immediate access to a laboratory is limited. However, clinicians in areas such as Emergency are under increasing pressure to meet patient length of stay targets. Accordingly, the relative speed and expanding menu of POCT make it a potential alternative to traditional Pathology testing in certain situations, even if an on-site laboratory is available.
Pathology Departments are often asked to be involved in the establishment of POCT (although, not always!), which is an opportunity to provide guidance in device selection, QC/QA requirements, training, and connectivity. The latter is particularly important, as the connectivity of POCT devices and the electronic management of the results they produce can be difficult to achieve.
This presentation will look at the implementation of a series of POCT devices in a medium-sized outer suburban hospital, the challenges involved, and the solutions that were employed to overcome these challenges. In particular, the connectivity solution that was devised to ensure that all results were captured will be examined.