Point-of-Care Tests, perspective of laboratory medicine

• Autor(a) principal: Azevedo, Ana Paula
• Data de Publicação: 2024
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.25761/anaisihmt.456

One of the most effective methods for rapid diagnosis in healthcare are Point-of-Care (POCT) devices, whose potential has been highly explored in terms of safety and quality, with a view to better performance and applicability, especially in prevention, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients. There are several types of existing devices, with different levels of complexity, inserted in different areas and based on different methodologies and procedures, allowing the analysis of numerous parameters. POCTs allow the analysis of biological products that are easy to obtain and are very useful in emergency situations, in doctors’ offices and in remote, poor and difficult to access geographical areas, with limited medical resources. Although more expensive, they are associated with the rationalization of healthcare, allowing results to be obtained in real time, at the patient’s bedside and immediately, reducing the time taken to make therapeutic decisions and improving the care provided. However, its use is also associated with risks, sometimes compromising its performance, the quality of the results obtained and patient safety. POCTs are subject to evaluation and approval in different countries, in order to guarantee compliance with regulations and safety standards and to certify the quality of the results. The Laboratory plays a leading role in its selection, based on performance and clinical needs, with the organization of continuous training plans for its users being essential, following established protocols and participating in External Quality Assessment Programs. Ideally, POCT should contribute to personalized medicine and the earlier detection and diagnosis of diseases, not intended to replace the complex and specialized laboratory tests carried out in central Laboratories, but rather to complement them.