Bringing Point-of-Care Testing to Consumer End-Points

The medical diagnostics industry has been moving steadily from centralized testing toward a decentralized model that brings testing ever closer to the patient. The benefits of point-of-care (POC) interventions are significant, and new technologies have expanded the options of home testing, while new generations of testing kits offer enhanced accuracy, reliability, and speed. Detection and monitoring are especially critical for diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis C (HVC), and colon cancer, and POC technologies can encourage early detection and better testing compliance as they are more accessible for patients. They are also less expensive and provide results much more quickly and conveniently. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the medical diagnostics industry had been trending toward decentralized testing. For years, testing used to be clustered around core laboratories, but gradually testing expanded to facilities in urgent care and ER settings to improve speed and efficiency. These facilities have smaller footprints than core labs and more basic equipment designed for “simple to answer” testing. ENABLING MORE CONVENIENT DRUG TESTING As testing has become increasingly decentralized, new technologies have been developed to make tests easier and more efficient. One area for example that has seen a rise in testing is screening for substances of abuse. Drug testing is increasing and being made more available. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health ...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: IVD Source Type: news