Online Symposium: Point of Care Testing

ABSTRACT: This online seminar will provide important information to the medical laboratory supervisor, as well as the technologist, technician, phlebotomist, nurse and physician involved in ancillary testing. As hospitals deal with the problem of rising costs, strategies have emerged which shorten patient stays or move care to the outpatient setting.

The introduction of new technology and patient care models are driving laboratory testing close to the patient. Because the clinical laboratory professional plays many roles in the delivery of health care, the management of point of care testing is also their responsibility. A vital question arising from this trend is, "how can the clinical laboratory professional ensure the physician and the public that this testing is accurate and clinically relevant?"

POC testing can be performed at or near the patient's location as a supplement but cannot serve as a replacement for the central laboratory services. In a position paper of June 1993, ASCLS recommends that the responsibility for the overall approval and direction of these testing areas should remain that of the central laboratory, and this trend should be viewed as an opportunity to show their broader range of capabilities.

Selected management topics will include laboratory information systems to serve hospital personnel as well as physicians, and aspects of human resource problem-solving. This symposium will:

1. Provide an education update for those practicing clinical laboratory science.
2. Provide a vehicle for recertification through continuing education credit.
3. Provide enrichment for the undergraduate and graduate student.

LEVEL: BASIC

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this presentation the participant will be able to do the following:

1. Develop a needs assessment with the medical staff for a test menu to include only those tests that are clinically relevant for POC testing.
2. Devise experiences in training clinical laboratory scientists for this type of testing and expand the curriculum to include non-laboratory personnel.
3. Formulate plans for POC instrument selection considering the ease of operation, cost effectiveness and quality resulting from their use.
4. Apply rules of record-keeping, procudure manual update, test protocol utilization and documentation of instrument maintenance so that accreditation requirements are met in POC testing sites.
5. Compare and contrast human resource problem solving plans.
6. Improve laboratory efficiency by using LIS to integrate the operations and output of different laboratory sections.

P.A.C.E. Credits and Cost

Succesful completion (by electronic post-quiz) will earn participants 0.3 CEU (3.0 Contact Hour).

This is a FREE presentation for Med TechNet subscribers; others: $29.00 (US Dollars)

Hardcopy Reference Service

For those who simply wish to obtain a copy of the presentation, without accessing the online discussion or earning Continuing Education Credits, we offer a special Reference Service. To receive a bound, full-color copy of this 27 page presentation plus disks with the Electronic Version, send a check or money order, for $24 (US Funds, payable to: WNY MICRO, INC.; NY State residents add local sales tax) and request MTCON15-POCT-SEPT96. (Prices applicable to US, Canada and Mexico. Overseas customers should check with us first for pricing; send inquiries to [email protected].)

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Format

Med TechNet presentations are available in Adobe's PDF format (Portable Document Format) for viewing on PC's, Mac's and other platforms. Platform specific readers (DOS, Windows and Mac) are available at no charge from many sites.

Med TechNet is approved (or has applied for approval) as a Provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.� Program.

Med TechNet credits are approved for clinical laboratory continuing education requirements in California.

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Last Updated: Wednesday, November 11, 1998