Systems Engineering and Point-of-Care Testing: Report From the NIBIB POCT/Systems Engineering Workshop

Abstract: The first part of this article is an introduction to systems engineering and how it may be applied to health care and point-of-care testing (POCT). Systems engineering is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to better understand and manage changes in complex systems and projects as a whole. Systems are sets of interconnected elements that interact with each other, are dynamic, change over time, and are subject to complex behaviors. The second part of this article reports on the results of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering workshop exploring the future of POCT and technologies and the recognition that these new technologies do not exist in isolation, that they exist within ecosystems of other technologies and systems, and that these systems influence their likelihood of success or failure and their effectiveness. In this workshop, a diverse group of individuals from around the country, from disciplines ranging from clinical care, engineering, regulatory affairs, and many others to members of the 3 major National Institutes of Health–funded efforts in the areas such as the Centers for POCT for sexually transmitted disease, POCT for the future of Cancer Care, and POCT primary care research network, gathered together for a modified deep dive workshop exploring the current state of the art, mapping probable future directions and developing longer term goals. The invitees were broken up into 4 thematic groups as follows: home, outpatient, ...
Source: Point of Care: The Journal of Near-Patient Testing and Technology - Category: Pathology Tags: Special Feature Article Source Type: research