Abstract
Point-of-care testing (POCT) is an emerging technology that provides crucial assistance in delivering healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the accelerated importance of POCT technology due to its in-home accessibility. While POCT use and implementation has increased, little research has been published about how healthcare professionals perceive these technologies. The objective of our study was to examine the current perspectives of healthcare professionals towards POCT. We surveyed healthcare professionals to quantify perceptions of POCT usage, adoption, benefits, and concerns between October 2020 and November 2020. Questions regarding POCT perception were assessed on a 5-point Likert Scale. We received a total of 287 survey responses. Of the respondents, 53.7% were male, 66.6% were white, and 30.7% have been in practice for over 20 years. We found that the most supported benefit was POCTs ability to improve patient management (92%) and that the most supported concern was that POCTs lead to over-testing (30%). This study provides a better understanding of healthcare workers’ perspectives on POCT. To improve patient outcomes through the usage of POCT, greater research is needed to assess the needs and concerns of industry and healthcare stakeholders.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the rapid implementation of society-wide non-pharmaceutical healthcare interventions, such as lockdowns and telemedicine
Participants were asked about their demographic information in order to evaluate if a large group of caregivers from a broad spectrum of specialties and backgrounds were surveyed about Point-of-care testing (POCT)
Continued collection of demographic information will allow analysis of POCT perspective based on location
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic led to the rapid implementation of society-wide non-pharmaceutical healthcare interventions, such as lockdowns and telemedicine. This shift, combined with other state and federal regulations, created a unique interest in and demand for point-ofcare testing (POCT) solutions [1,2]. Prior to the pandemic, the advantages of expanding the role of patients in the management of their 4.0/). Synchronous changes in population health, along with public health mandates, have created a unique environment and lead to an unprecedented opportunity for more efficient and patient-centered care using POCT. POCT products have the potential to both expedite diagnosis and support patient-integrated management, while reducing transportation cost, delays, and caregiver inconvenience [5,6]. While prior work has documented the advantages of POCT, little has been published about the adoption of POCTs by healthcare providers
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