Quality Management In Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT): The Interface Between Nursing Competency And Laboratory Standards

Abstract

Point of Care Testing (POCT) has emerged as an essential aspect of contemporary healthcare delivery, especially within primary healthcare, where immediate medical decisions are required. Nonetheless, quality management of POCT is characterized by distinct difficulties, where it occupies an evolving intersection of nursing and analytical standards. Informed by recent consensus-driven perspectives and global standards, this article critically discusses the essential determinants of quality management of POCT, including internal quality control (IQC) schedule, user performance, and device factors. Building on recent consensus-driven perspectives and global standards, this article formulates a comprehensive framework for ensuring quality assurance within POCT, bridging analytical accuracy and pragmatism within resource-constrained settings of primary healthcare delivery. This article integrates contributions from evidence on risk stratification for analyses, device complexity evaluation, and user friendliness analysis, formulating a comprehensive approach for IQC schedule determination. Further, this article critically examines the technological shifts of POCT, including smartphone platforms, continuous monitoring instruments, and molecular diagnostic instruments. Notably, findings from this article illustrate that there is a critical need for device-specific POCT quality management programs, taking into consideration both analytical accuracy within medical test outcomes, while pragmatically relating POCT analyst activities within non-laboratory settings. This article contributes critical perspectives, guidelines, and policy frameworks for healthcare managers, medical, and nursing professionals charged with POCT quality management programs.