Question

what the lab’s POCT is and what a hospital department , other than lab- like ICU have to do in order for the lab to approve them to do the testing - because lab gets judged in accreditation about how it oversees the POC testing in every department?

what

i dont have more information

just in general

Answer 1

POCT in Laboratory medicine

POCT or Point of Care Testing refers to the performance of any laboratory test that are performed outside the laboratory set up or outside the centralised laboratory. POCT is also called in different terms such as remote testing, rapid diagnostics , Near - patient testing, satellite testing etc. So Point of Care testing means the test perfotmed near to the patient, where the treatment or care is provided.

Point of Care Testing can occur in different settings in a hospital like ICU( Intensive Care Unit), Emergency department, Inpatient wards, Outpatient settings etc. PICOT can also occur in locations other than hopsitals like in an ambulance, accident scene,in a cruise ship, military settings, radiology department , healthcare practitioner' s office and in community settings etc. Advancement in science made it possible for lay man to do certain testing at domicilliary settings, Eg: Pregnancy or Blood glucose test, with the use of home kits. Other test can be performed by Doctors, nurses and other health workers.

Procedure for approval by lab for PICOT testing in Hospital or ICU:

All hospitals should consider the POCT as a primary step or one step in the testing continuum that should lead to coordinated testing with Central laboratory. Intensive Care Units are a major area where the POCT is happening very frequently. Eg: Electrolyte analysis , Blood gas monitoring etc.

For the approval by central laboratory for POC testing ,in hospital including ICU, the hospitals have to follow the necessary steps such as:

* There should be POCT team or Point - of - care Coordination team for the hospital for the proper monitoring of POC testing and its procedures .

The team members should be from various professional backgrounds and clinical environments, should be able to provide expert advice and frontline experience of POCT.

* Well defined objectives and polices for the POCT team; that should include the criteria for selecting POCT devices with hiqh quality and less risk for patient.

* The team should ensure that the POCT users are trained, and tested for competency.

* The Coordination team should compare the POCT cost with the Central laboratory and should plan the budget.

* Seek the assistance from Central laboratory for advices, services and apparatus and provide periodic reports to them

* All POCT test results should be add in the health record.