Training and competency strategies for point-of-care testing

Abstract

The increased availability and use of POCT are being influenced by many factors, such as; industry trends to move towards patient-centered care and healthcare decentralization, the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases also including the current use of Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Testing, a growing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, as well as advances in in-vitro diagnostic medical technologies. The use of POCT can increase the efficiency of services and improve outcomes for patients. However, the variability of the testing environment and conditions as well as the competency of staff performing the tests may have a significant impact on the quality and accuracy of POCT results. A majority of the staff who perform POCT are not trained laboratory staff and may not be as knowledgeable about the processes involved in testing, such as patient preparation, sample collection, management of equipment and supplies, instrument calibration and maintenance, the performance of the test, quality control, interpretation of the results, and reporting/documentation of results in each patient’s context. Therefore, staff performing POCT must have the proper training and experience to ensure test results are accurate and reliable. This short communication outlines the specific requirements for staff training based on international standards which need to be considered to ensure the quality of test results and describes competency criteria required for compliance with POCT. © 2021 International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine. All rights reserved.