Medical and economic outcomes of point-of-care testing.
Point-of-care testing is concerned with the immediacy of response, primarily because of the need to act in a life-threatening crisis or to provide counsel in the ongoing management of a chronic disease. There are both clinical, operational and economic benefits that can accrue from this testing modality which may be observed from several perspectives--the patient, the clinician, the healthcare provider, the healthcare purchaser and society. Thus point-of-care testing can improve the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, compromised coagulation status and epilepsy--both in terms of optimisation of, and compliance with, therapy. There are also life-threatening crises that can be averted by rapid provision of test results. Each of these scenarios can lead to more efficient use of healthcare resources.
Price
Christopher P
CP
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, UK. chris.price.cp@bayer.co.uk
D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000191:economics*; D011786:Quality Control; D016896:Treatment Outcome