Laboratory and Point-of-Care Testing: From Conflicting Notions to Complementary Insights

The POCT section aims to evaluate the organisational and analytical-diagnostic challenges of Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) in terms of its impact on hospitals and the entire healthcare system. The rapid technical development of POCT methods is based on advances in nanotechnology, miniaturization, and parallelization. This allows even more complex analyses to be offered in a POCT format. Examples of such disruptive technologies are nucleic acid-based detection of infectious agents or continuous metabolite monitoring (mostly glucose).

POCT was originally conceived to enable immediate therapeutic consequences from laboratory values in life-threatening emergency situations in clinical settings. However, the advantages in outpatient care for medical consultation, e.g., for patients with diabetes mellitus, were quickly recognized, and the possibilities for patient self-monitoring in the ‘home care’ sector were utilized.

The widespread application of POCT in hospitals can lead to clinical, organisational, and economic advantages. However, these benefits can only be realized if the previously often uncoordinated use of POCT is restructured through a comprehensive organization approach. A POCT coordination center and efficient utilization of the local clinical laboratory best meet both economic and medical requirements. POCT can be used meaningfully alongside the central laboratory in the interest of optimal patient care. Hence our motto is: From conflicting notions to complementary insights.

The main activities of the section focus on:

• Conducting the ‘German POCT Symposium’
• Handling inquiries at the interface between ISO 15189 and RiliBÄK
• Developing position statements on various hot POCT topics
• Developing concepts for the meaningful use of continuous glucose monitoring systems