POCT equipment VS laboratory inspection equipment, what are POCT advantages?

release time:2021-06-09 10:46:42

What is POCT?

POCT, abbreviation for Point of Care Testing, is a branch of the in vitro diagnostic (IVD) industry that can be understood as clinical and bedside tests performed next to the patient.

What are the advantages of POCT?

Let’s see the difference between POCT and traditional lab equipment by the graph:

Compared with the large-scale test equipment in hospital departments, POCT has these characteristics:

1.Short turnaround time
2.Easy operation
3.No need to process samples, whole blood POCT sample, serum plasma laboratory equipment sample
4.For POCT, no special training is required.
5.No frequent calibration required.

Let’s see POCT characteristics in practical use:

1.Wide range of applications

POCT was first used to measure blood sugar (home blood glucose meters) and early pregnancy. With the development of technology, POCT is now widely used in more fields.Classified by test items, POCT is used primarily in the areas of blood sugar, pregnancy, infection factors, cardiac markers, blood gas electrolytes, infectious disease detection, drug detection, and tumor markers.

POCT is no limited environment, light weight and easy to carry. The application of POCT is not only hospital, but also extended to some clinics, pharmacies, communities, accidents, families and so on. The use conditions are flexible, meet the diversity of medical needs.

2. Get results quickly

More streamlined process: traditional laboratory equipment has complex operation process, need long time to wait for results. While POCT process is simpler. Only need sample collection, sample analysis, quality control, interpretation report and so on.

More efficient: POCT has an efficient workflow because the test is performed at the bedside or near the patient. Getting results quickly allows doctors to make medical decisions more quickly.

3.Cost saving

The cost of laboratory equipment generally includes equipment maintenance, staff training, site area and so on. Laboratory equipment usually centralized process the patient samples, but generally POCT has simpler operation and less basic maintenance. The rapid disease diagnosis is conducive to timely medical measures, and playing a huge role in emergency treatment.

4. Sample more stable and easier to handle

POCT samples are generally unprocessed samples, such as whole blood, and do not require centrifugation or processing.
POCT reduces the possibility of sample changes. Because once a sample is available, most POCT will be launched and test quickly. Because some samples are unstable, exposed to the environment, and affected by changes in cell metabolism and temperature, the samples be sent to the laboratory may change.
POCT requires a smaller sample size, and it may be advantageous for patients who need frequent testing, especially for those with anemia or for blood collection from newborns and children.
For animal diagnosis, POCT requires an even smaller sample for some exotic pets or animals that are not readily available for blood collection.

5. Enhancing Primary Care

Now if we go to the hospital, we may facing the situation that queue for a few hours, see a doctor for 3 minutes due to lack of medical resources.

Some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, are becoming more and more common. These chronic diseases need long-term detection. POCT equipment can provide better services. At the same time, due to the shortage of primary medical resources, POCT can also play a role in primary medical care due to its own characteristics.

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