Point of Care Testing: A Discipline that is Growing

Abstract

Traditionally, diagnostic testing is carried out on patients’ samples ( blood, urine etc) in pathology laboratories by skilled scientists. Transport to the laboratory and subsequent processing (often in batches) can sometimes lead to long turnaround times for the patient and the clinician. Point of Care (POC) or ‘near patient’ testing refers to testing and reporting at the site of patient care and is usually undertaken by non-laboratory personnel. POC technology has a number of attractions as there is a fast turnaround time and this can have enormous benefits for the patient and the clinician.