Historically, diagnostic testing has always been done in a medical laboratory. The lengthy process involves sending specimens away from the point of care to a laboratory, where a pathologist analyses the specimen. The results from this system can take 48 hours or longer.
However, today there is increasing demand for diagnostic testing at the point of care – that is, where the patient is located. This is because point-of-care testing (POCT) is essential for the rapid detection of abnormalities and disease in the patient, which facilitates better diagnosis, monitoring, and management. As research paper Point-of-Care Diagnostics: Recent Advances and Trends states, “POCT enables quick medical decisions, as the diseases can be diagnosed at a very early stage, leading to improved health outcomes for patients by enabling the early start of treatment.”
It is this very reason why Telenostic has dedicated so many years to the development of an accurate, efficient, and affordable point-of-care diagnostic technology.
In human medicine, the benefits of POCT are many. According to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, these include:
- Enhanced clinical management due to immediacy of results, which facilitates urgent triage and fast decision making
- Greater patient compliance with pathology requests, especially for those patients who are most at risk
- Greater convenience, safety, and satisfaction for patients – given speed of diagnosis and treatment decisions
- Refinement of patients’ chronic disease management plan due to prompt management decisions, which results in better patient care
The coupling of POCT devices and electronic medical records enable test results to be shared instantly with care providers. The use of mobile devices in the health care setting also enable the health care provider to quickly access patient test results sent from a POCT device – as is the case with OvaCyte™.
Point-of-Care Diagnostics: Recent Advances and Trends predicts the global POCT market will grow to USD 36.96 billion this year (2021), up from USD 23.16 billion in 2016 – a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8%. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid development of POCT has also occurred, thanks to an urgent need to improve the turnaround time and ease of use compared to the traditional lab-based PCR test.
In veterinary medicine specifically, there is a desire among pet owners to have all the information about their pet as quickly as possible, so that they can make decisions about their care, however many veterinarians are unaware of this. As this report states, “Since many veterinarians send blood to a commercial lab and the results are not returned for interpretation or discussion until after the client leaves the building, the assumption is made that the client is not concerned with the wait… [and] that running the tests at the point-of-care does not provide a medical or financial advantage to the practice, client and patient.”
However, results from a survey conducted identifies this assumption among veterinarians is incorrect, with 49-70% of the clients surveyed indicating that immediate test results would impact the clinic they chose to bring their pet to. In addition, the report outlines the economic, competitive, and customer-attracting advantages of conducting POCT in veterinary clinics.
To find out more about point-of-care diagnostics and how OvaCyte™ can benefit your veterinary practice, contact us today.
