Abstract
Point of care testing (POCT) is now a significant part of the provision of diagnostic services. Generally, POCT devices are used in a number of different areas, and they can be broadly classified as one of the following: 1. Mini-pathology laboratory providing a limited range of testing to small hospitals and specialist situations like the Royal Flying Doctor Service and defence forces. 2. Backup analysers in small to medium sized laboratories. 3. Specialised units such as casualty, theatre and high dependency units where blood gases, troponins and potassiums are performed either intra-operatively or during triage. 4. Niche roles such as HbA1c or INR analysers in specialist clinic settings, often involving paediatric or child patients. But there are some situations where POCT is not appropriate, either because of cost or quality requirements, and a request for a POCT device can identify a problem with the existing laboratory service. This presentation will describe the advantages and disadvantages of using POCT in various settings and include examples from various public and private pathology networks and some uses of POCT in community medicine.
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