Home - Point of Care Testing

Achieving control of infectious diseases that are major causes of treatable morbidity and mortality in various populations relies on accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment. However, many people at risk of these infections do not have ready access to timely test results which are the gateway to timely treatment and swift public health measures, as testing is only available in often geographically distanced, centralised laboratories.

Point-of-care or near-patient testing provides an opportunity to diagnose and treat at the same visit, thereby optimising time to treatment and engagement in care and improving long-term health outcomes.

A point-of-care test (POCT) is a test that is performed where the analysis is completed close to the patient rather than in the traditional clinical laboratory. It allows a result to be returned rapidly, so the person administrating the test can make an immediate, informed decision about patient care.

Point-of-care tests can use multiple sample types, including serum, plasma, venous whole blood, capillary blood and oral fluid. Typically, they can return a result with quite a small sample. Point-of-care testing can simplify the pathway to diagnosis and treatment.

POCT is used in many ways in Australia, both in healthcare settings and in the community. Some examples include:

rapid tests for identifying COVID antibodies
tests for blood-borne viruses (e.g. HIV, hepatitis C) and sexually transmitted infections (e.g. syphilis)
tests for diabetes monitoring – glucose and Hb 1Ac
other general tests, including tests for lipids, electrolytes, urea and creatinine, blood gases and coagulation and cardiac markers.

In many cases, POCT results are as reliable as the analysis provided by a laboratory. Consequently, POCT can be especially useful in rural and remote areas where there may be limited access to laboratory services.

Reduces the need for venous blood tests. Venous access can be an issue, particularly in people with a history of injecting drugs, so point-of-care testing is an alternate method of sample collection.
Reduces number of visits to a healthcare professional.
Can be conducted by field workers and other non-clinical staff, allowing the tests to be conducted even when clinical staff and services aren’t available.
Fast time to result, enabling healthcare professionals to make quicker decisions on treatment and care.
Can be performed near the person or healthcare facility and allows people to be tested where they feel comfortable accessing care.

While sample collection is usually simple, analysis of results usually relies on more complex technology that requires:

Technology that can be costly
Technicians with additional training
A system for quality assurance of testing and analysis in non-laboratory settings
Vendor support to ensure the technology is calibrated and maintained
Compliance with regulatory requirements and ongoing clinical governance.

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Point-of-care testing: Hepatitis C

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