Laboratory professionals have not typically been part of integrated patient care and have historically functioned autonomously in the laboratory, which is often geographically removed from the hospital's patient care areas.
For POCT to contribute to the desired patient-centered healthcare approach, the laboratory staff must be involved by providing expertise and acting as liaison support to the healthcare staff members performing testing outside the central laboratory. This support can come in many ways. Supportive roles for POCT include, but are not limited to:
- Evaluation and adoption of test kits and POC instruments
- Correlation studies
- Provision of policy and procedure
- Technical support, as appropriate
- Training and competency assessment
- Periodic review of test and quality control results
- Corrective action for failed QC and proficiency testing, as appropriate
- Participation in ongoing quality assessment
- Mandatory reporting of test results to state and federal agencies, as required.
A point-of-care testing coordinator (POCC) may be a laboratory employee, supervisor, or personnel from another department as determined appropriately by the healthcare facility. If POCT is classified as nonwaived testing and the testing is subject to CLIA regulations, it is essential to verify that the POCC is qualified to perform all the administrative tasks (e.g., competency assessment of testing personnel) delegated by the laboratory director. The POCC must also be flexible to visit remote hospital locations and clinics where testing is performed.
