Point-of-care testing comes of age in Australia

A wide range of point-of-care tests is available and being used in both hospital and community settings for acute and chronic illnesses. There have been significant improvements in device technology as well as advances in training methods, procedures to monitor analytical quality, and the electronic capture and management of test results from a central location. Various point-of-care tests have been found to be non-inferior to laboratory testing for managing chronic conditions in general practice and Aboriginal medical services. Maintaining the analytical quality of devices and ensuring that staff are properly trained are critical elements in sustaining a high quality point-of-care testing service.