Point of Care Testing Association

This week, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force shared draft guidance that women at age 30 can start collecting their own samples for cervical cancer screenings at a physician's office and forego Pap smears. This is the first time self-collection for human papillomavirus has been recommended, and it's expected to increase screening rates. This news is a positive step forward, offering new opportunities for #pointofcaretesting. https://lnkd.in/ev2Wnrip

Point of Care Testing (POCT) is one of the most important technical advancements revolutionizing healthcare today. With fast and accurate test results for many non-communicable diseases and acute infections now available on-site in many physician offices, outpatient clinics, pharmacies, emergency rooms, skilled nursing facilities, and more – patients are receiving quicker diagnoses, leading to faster treatments and better overall outcomes. In addition, POCT lightens workloads for overburdened laboratories and lowers healthcare-associated costs – resulting in more accessible and affordable care. To help more people understand the power and potential of Point of Care Testing, download our whitepaper. In it, you will learn: * How POCT gained new relevancy with the COVID-19 pandemic; * Real-life case studies of how POCT is being utilized to monitor and treat a variety of critical health conditions; * An overview of the equipment, technology, and processes used in POCT, and costs comparisons to traditional laboratory testing; * How POCT is currently regulated and reimbursed by third-party payers; * A future outlook for POCT technology, including how it is being enhanced by AI; * And more. Download the “Point of Care Testing” whitepaper here: https://lnkd.in/ezFCfFUc, and for more information about the Point of Care Testing Association, please visit https://lnkd.in/gWz4aiaU. #pointofcaretesting

In case you missed it, last week, we welcomed the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) as our newest Partner! The Point of Care Association is proud to collaborate with IDSA, as well as the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine, AdvaMed, and the Urgent Care Association as we advocate together for medically appropriate and cost-effective point of care testing. To learn more about becoming a POCTA member or partner, please visit https://lnkd.in/e-GnkuQP. #pointofcaretesting #healthcarepolicy

POCTA is excited to welcome the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) as our newest Partner organization! We launched the Partner program to build stronger ties with key stakeholder organizations to more effectively promote medically appropriate and cost-effective point of care testing. As Partners, IDSA and POCTA are now able to advocate together for shared policy objectives more regularly, easily, and effectively. IDSA is a community of over 13,000 physicians, scientists and public health experts who specialize in infectious diseases. The organization’s purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities, and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health, and prevention relating to infectious diseases. “By providing quicker access to accurate results, point of care testing helps providers expedite diagnosis and treatment, which makes it an important tool in limiting the spread of infectious diseases,” said Eric Zimmerman, on behalf of POCTA. “We are excited to welcome the Infectious Diseases Society of America as a Partner and look forward to working together on our advocacy efforts.”  Read our full press release: https://lnkd.in/d6cMAxBh #pointofcaretesting #healthcarepolicy

Two of the questions we are most commonly asked about Point of Care Testing (POCT) are about its accuracy and reliability, and its ability to improve patient outcomes. Data demonstrates that POCT is as accurate and reliable as send-out lab testing for many tests and that producing quicker results may contribute to better patient outcomes by allowing for quicker treatment and less need for follow-up. We answer these and more frequently asked questions about POCT in our white paper. Download it here: https://lnkd.in/ezFCfFUc. #pointofcaretesting

Point of Care Testing (POCT) provides faster access to reliable results, enabling providers to expedite diagnosis and treatment decision-making, which in turn improves patient care across myriad disciplines within medicine. A pre-pandemic study showed the top 10 conditions for which US family physicians reported using POCT were diabetes mellitus, urinary tract infections, strep throat, influenza, pregnancy, anemia, infectious mononucleosis, anticoagulation, acute cardiac conditions and lipid disorders. To learn more about how POCT is revolutionizing healthcare, download this white paper from the Point of Care Testing Association: https://lnkd.in/ezFCfFUc. #pointofcaretesting

The Point of Care Association is proud to collaborate with the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine, AdvaMed, and the Urgent Care Association as our Partner organizations! Together, we advocate for shared policy objectives more regularly, easily, and effectively. We launched the Partner program to build stronger ties with key stakeholder organizations to more effectively promote medically appropriate and cost-effective point of care testing. To learn more about becoming a POCTA member or partner, please visit https://lnkd.in/e-GnkuQP. #pointofcaretesting #healthcarepolicy

This week, the Point of Care Testing Association, the Urgent Care Association, and AdvaMed submitted a letter to Centene requesting revisions to its Physician’s Office Lab Testing Policy to add certain codes to its list of covered services when performed by a physician office laboratory. While this policy encourages the efficient use of limited payer resources, we believe it also unduly restricts access to medically necessary POC tests that can be furnished and used in patient management in real time when such use is in the best interests of patient care – including testing performed in both waived and moderately complex settings. The letter emphasizes that clinicians and patients alike need POC tests to timely diagnose disease and monitor healthcare conditions, particularly when rapid turnaround time is important to reduce the time to treat. Read the full letter: https://lnkd.in/egNN2nCH #PointofCareTesting #HealthCarePolicy

In a hospital or clinic-based setting, the main advantage of point of care testing (POCT) is a faster turnaround time than testing performed in the central laboratory. Traditional laboratory testing involves multiple steps, including collecting samples from the patient, transporting them to the laboratory, running each sample through its respective test and reporting the results back to the treating clinician. POCT is performed where the healthcare is provided, and in many cases, returns results to the treating physician in minutes, while the patient is still present. The COVID-19 pandemic transformed how healthcare providers used POCT and highlighted the benefits of having quick and reliable results available at the time of treatment. Learn more about the benefits of POCT in our white paper: https://lnkd.in/ezFCfFUc. #pointofcaretesting

The Point of Care Testing Association (POCTA) seeks to facilitate access to safe, effective, and cost-effective patient testing at the time of treatment. Our membership consists of like-minded stakeholders, thought leaders, and experts working together to help inform and advance effective reimbursement policies that can improve health outcomes by supporting access to POC testing. To learn more or inquire about partnership opportunities, please visit: https://lnkd.in/e-GnkuQP.