SPECIAL FOCUS


kidney disease (CKD) often go undiag- nosed, or at best are delayed, and with no access to dialysis, are often death sentences. Screening programs using POCT are being implemented and some preliminary results have shown favor- able outcomes. Begos also taps into remote care, which has been driven in part by the pandemic, as well as military applications. “Another area outside the hospital where POCT can impact patient care


is by testing patients where it is more convenient for them, thereby increas- ing compliance,” he noted. “There are programs starting up in pharmacies, for example, where kidney function can be tested and dose adjustments of medica- tions can be made on the spot. Also, compliance with diabetic treatment can be addressed by measuring HbA1c and on-the-spot counseling can be given which may improve patient compliance with caregiver counseling.


“Prehospital testing of lactate in trauma or potentially septic patients can allow for faster care and transport to an appropriate facility,” Begos continued. “For example, a patient with suspected sepsis and an elevated lactate may be better served at a tertiary care facility, which may be further away but initial transport to this facility may save a secondary transfer, which are never good for the patient. Along similar lines, T by the military can signifi- cantly aid in decision-making for soldiers inured on the battlefield, in terms of tri- age, transport and use of blood products in the field.”


Gingrich finds that POCT capability expansion not only will be a boon for cli- nicians and patients but also will become attractive to payers.


“A key trend in the adoption of POCT


is being driven by specific disease man- agement demands in various healthcare settings,” he indicated. “FibroScan has been adopted at a rapid pace by provid- ers due to the growing liver disease and obesity epidemic in the United States and around the world.


“While frontline care professionals welcome the convenience of POCT tools and having rapid test results, payers still hesitate unless you can demonstrate both need and cost efficiency,” he continued. “Echosens, makers of FibroScan, recog- nized this early-on and worked diligently over the past decade to establish extensive coverage for our technology. Beyond this, POCT shows promise in the areas of microbiology, epidemic outbreaks, endo- crine testing to guide surgical therapy, sepsis markers, stroke markers and DNA testing.”


Marrinucci expresses excitement about Truvian developing a fully automated blood testing system. “By integrating three crucial testing modalities – chemis- try, immunoassay and hematology – in a single device, we can deliver comprehen- sive health panel results in one run,” she said. “In removing the barrier of sending out common blood tests and taking the guesswork out of diagnosis, we are set- ting the new standard for routine blood testing.” HPN


https://truvianhealth.com/


https://truvianhealth.com/archives/blog/point-of-care-testing- vs-laboratory-testing https://www.novabiomedical.com/ https://www.echosens.com/en-us/


Visit https://hpnonline.com/21234507 for the sidebar, “Might personal healthcare devices be useful or more of a clinical nuisance?”


12 September 2021 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • hpnonline.com 2109HPN_ContecInc.indd 1 8/13/21 1:41 PM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54