title: Internet support for  point-of-care testing in primary care.
abstract: One of the few and largest randomised controlled trials of point-of-care testing (PoCT) in general practice was conducted in Australia. This trial showed PoCT provided the same or better clinical effectiveness than central laboratory testing for HbA1c, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, cholesterol and triglyceride measurements but not for the international normalised ratio (INR) or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. For most tests, however, testing in the central laboratory was more cost-effective than PoCT. One factor that contributed to the higher cost of PoCT was the considerable amount of resources devoted to training and monitoring the PoCT operators throughout the trial, many of whom were in remote locations.
authors: PhD, MAACB, FFSc (RCPA), Consultant, Australian Point-of-Care Practitioners Network, Mt Lawley, WA.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: St John
authors: Rosy
authors: R
authors: Tirimacco
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Badrick
authors: Limei
authors: L
authors: Siew
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Simpson
authors: Penelope
authors: P
authors: Cowley
authors: Shahid
authors: S
authors: Ullah
authors: Philip
authors: P
authors: Tideman
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D066275:Health Information Exchange / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D000067716:Point-of-Care Testing / Q000639:trends*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D019035:Rural Health Services