"We need the courage to innovate in order to improve care, shorten pathways and use resources more efficiently," explains Dr. Martin Walger, Managing Director of the VDGH. "Point-of-care testing provides diagnostic information where it is needed: with the patient. It can relieve the burden on doctors' surgeries by making diagnostics possible in new locations in future - for example in pharmacies, care facilities or through mobile services. POCT can provide decisive impetus in the fight against antibiotic resistance, in the provision of care in rural areas and for the optimization of emergency care."
POCT should be seen as a supplement to medical laboratory diagnostics. While complex analyses are reserved for specialized laboratories, near-patient tests create new opportunities to act quickly and in a targeted manner, particularly in outpatient care, emergency services and underserved regions. POCT enables laboratory diagnostic tests to be carried out directly on or in close proximity to the patient: quickly, reliably and with immediate consequences for diagnosis and treatment. POCT helps to control the targeted use of antibiotics, particularly when differentiating between viral and bacterial infections. In this way, it actively contributes to the prevention of resistance - a key objective of national strategies such as the German Antibiotic Resistance Strategy DART 2030.
In the new white paper, the VDGH has comprehensively outlined the advantages and possible applications of POCT. These include, among other things
- Faster diagnoses and start of treatment for life-threatening illnesses,
- the avoidance of unnecessary hospital admissions thanks to faster and safer decisions on site
- greater patient satisfaction thanks to rapid diagnosis, clear advice and immediate treatment,
- more efficient use of scarce medical and nursing resources.
"Our healthcare system is under increasing pressure. Demographic change, a shortage of specialists and the expectation of comprehensive care require new answers," says Walger. "Point-of-care testing is part of this response. The next German government should seize the opportunity to create a framework that promotes the expansion and meaningful integration of POCT into healthcare structures."
The full white paper "Point-of-care testing - a pioneering development in laboratory diagnostics" is available for download at www.vdgh.de/poct-whitepaper.
