Patient Care Alterations Following Point of Care Lab Testing During Critical Care Transport

Abstract

Introduction: Laboratory data is used to drive over 70% of medical care decisions.1 Point of Care laboratory Testing (POCT) is one of the fastest growing areas of laboratory testing as it has shown to reduce both time from first contact to intervention as well as length of stay within emergency departments.2,3 To date there is limited literature describing the changes in patient care that occur during interfacility transport following POCT.4 However POCT has been previously shown to change patient care in the emergency department and intensive care unit settings in a more timely manner.5,6 No study to date has identified the frequency for which POCT labs result in patient care changes. This study aims to describe the patient care alterations that occur following POCT in critical care transport using the EPOC® blood analyzer (Alere, Inc), a CLIA-moderate complexity testing system. AirLink/VitaLink Critical Care Transport is accredited by the College of American Pathology to perform moderate complexity POCT as an independent laboratory.