title: Introducing point-of-care testing into a rural hospital setting: thematic analysis of interviews with providers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hauora Hokianga Enterprises Trust, an integrated Primary Health Organisation (PHO), which provides primary and intermediate/secondary care to a remote rural community, introduced point-of-care (POC) testing at Rawene Hospital in June 2008. Previously, all laboratory tests were undertaken in Whangarei, with a one to three day turn-around for results. This study aimed to identify the perceived impact of POC testing on clinicians and the community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 13 health professionals working at Rawene Hospital. The qualitative data analysis computer programme ATLAS.ti v5.2 was used to assist the thematic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three overall themes captured the main issues with introducing POC testing: (1) POC testing increased clinicians' confidence, certainty and assurance in their daily practice; (2) POC testing improved diagnostic certainty and this impacted on patients and their families/whanau; (3) the challenges associated with POC testing included increased workload, pressure to up-skill, over-testing, and continuing professional education gaps.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  POC testing is an invaluable technological adjunct for improving clinical decisions and culturally safe care provided to a remote rural community, but it brings challenges to care providers in managing higher workloads and pressures to up-skill. POC testing can improve the acute medical care (access and quality) provided to an economically-deprived, predominantly Maori, rural community.U
authors.affiliation: Hauora Hokianga, Northland, New Zealand. katiblattner@hokiangahealth.org.nz
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Blattner
authors.forename: Garry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nixon
authors.forename: Chrystal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jaye
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dovey
mesh_terms: D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009520:New Zealand; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016526:Workload