POCT And The Driving Need For Convenience
Blood tests are very routine and are necessary for quality patient care. A diagnosis can not be made without samples of blood and a urine analysis. If considered urgent, an x-ray test can reveal just about anything. But this begs the ultimate question of convenience. How long should these results take? Is immediate testing going to be the near future? Point-of-care testing is going to revolutionize the medical industry as we know it.
I recently posed this question to a very well trained nurse about this topic. Why is that ordinarily blood lab results usually have taken 3 to 5 days in the past, as of now, some hospitals that have an In-House Laboratory take only 30 minutes? Why the unnecessary wait for those desperately waiting for a simple answer?
I was reluctant to express to the nurse that there was a level of inefficiency in the medical community, and to my surprise she readily agreed. I wondered why the long wait in some instances and all of a sudden now the results were in 30 minutes? Is this the trend of the future?
Point-of-care testing (POCT) will rapidly advance because of technology. Electronics has virtually changed everything, as we add social media to the tinderbox. Patients can grow impatient quickly and the age we live in has developed a push-button society. Nearly everything is or will eventually become on demand.
If we can get songs, movies, and hamburgers on demand, why not blood results on demand?
Obviously, many doctors will not agree with this trend, but why should a level of anxiety be added to an already bad situation? If you are sick and are expecting a life-changing outcome, why the long, unnecessary wait?
Point-of-care testing in hospitals and primary care is cost-effective and better medical outcomes are likely to ensue.
The future of POCT will probably hinge on cost and effectiveness, but there will be no turning back if this catches on with the public, and I believe it will. It saves office calls, anxiety, gas, and other precious resources, including time itself. I want it and I want it now! Please text me the results!
