Point of care testing is an essential part of the medical care and safety fields. Point of care testing allows for the results of lab-quality diagnostics without the long wait. This is essential when care is needed in a more immediate manner or in situations that do not allow for traditional testing. Check out this guide on what to know about point of care testing. Point of care testing is constantly changing to become faster, more convenient, and more accurate. Learn more about what it is, what it does, and where it’s used by reading further.
There is a lot of different point of care testing equipment
There are many different pieces of point of care testing equipment to invest in. You can test for the flu in a matter of minutes and treat many different conditions on-site. Point of care testing equipment is designed for a multitude of purposes. Here are a few examples of common products. These products are designed to test for issues in a wide range of areas, from checking temperatures to testing for pregnancy, blood glucose monitoring, rapid influenza tests, rapid strep throat tests, and much, much more. The kind of point of care testing equipment needed will depend on the business. A triage will require most of these items while a school setting may only need a few different kinds. Point of care testing equipment tests for all sorts of different conditions, levels, and illnesses. Each piece of equipment typically does something different than the others. Point of care testing equipment is considered to be any rapid test that doesn’t require the specimen or patient to be sent to a lab for results days or weeks later.
Not every place will carry the same kinds of point of care testing equipment
Different places tend to require the use of different kinds of testing equipment based on their customer’ or clients’ needs. It’s common to find point of care testing equipment in large varieties at areas such as hospitals, medical offices, general care practices, college care offices, schools, and workplaces that handle highly infectious diseases such as laboratories. Police precincts may also carry a few varieties of point of care testing equipment. It’s very common for EMTs and ambulances to have nearly every kind available. It is important to keep in mind that not every location that has access to some types of point of care testing equipment will have access to all types. An example of this is how a women’s health center may carry ovulation and pregnancy tests, while a men’s care facility may have no use for these items.
Point of care testing equipment is used for many reasons
Point of care testing equipment is a wide variety of machines and items. While all of these items are designed to detect something in the human body, they all test for different things. Point of care testing equipment can be used to test for so many things including, but not limited to, pregnancy, fertility, influenza, strep throat, a fever, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, alcohol use, drug use, and much more. Point of care testing is ultimately used to speed up the results of a certain test. A great example of this is if a person comes into a medical office with symptoms of influenza, but the patient or care team does not want to wait for lab results. In that case, they can do a rapid influenza test and have results in hours rather than days. This helps them to rule out influenza or diagnose it. This is all with the goal of coming up with a diagnosis and treatment plan in a shorter span of time.
Point of care testing equipment is usually quite accurate
Although it isn’t known to be quite as accurate as actual lengthy lab tests and trials, point of care testing equipment has come a very long way in the past few decades. Most tests produce results in less than a few hours and have a high rate of accuracy. As technology progresses and scientists learn more about the human body, these items become more and more accurate. As point of care testing equipment becomes more reliable, people are able to be treated, cared for, and helped much faster. Over time this leads to lower infection spreading rates, higher amounts of recovered patients, and more time to discuss the best course of action for treatment. This is also helpful in industries such as the rehabilitation industry, as they can better understand the timeframe of usage in drug addicts and alcoholics to get them help faster.
Point of care testing equipment is important for the public
Point of care testing has provided the medical industry with strides in providing quick and accurate healthcare to those who need it. It provides a much faster diagnosis which allows the medical staff more time to come up with treatment plans that are right for the specific patient. It also allows for more rapid treatment, and typically faster recovery times. While the results aren’t as reliable as a lab test, when done in conjunction with a lab test, the patient gets to start treatment right away when diagnosed rapidly, but can adjust treatment as needed if lab results contradict those of the rapid test.
There are daily strides in the medical community that benefit the local and global communities around the world. Point of care testing is a large leap forward in the care of the general patient. Point of care testing allows for quick results for a slew of conditions. Point of care testing equipment is necessary for a better and faster response time from the medical communities people depend on. For all of your point of care testing equipment needs, look over our vast selection at American Screening Corporation. Now that you know more about point of care testing, we have tons of different point of care testing products to choose from designed to fit your needs and the needs of the community you serve. We carry all kinds of medical equipment, personal protection equipment, medical care supplies, and much more.
