Point-of-Care Diagnostic Services as an Integral Part of Health Services during the Novel Coronavirus 2019 Era

Abstract

<jats:p>Point-of-care (POC) diagnostic services are commonly associated with pathology laboratory services. This issue presents a holistic approach to POC diagnostics services from a variety of disciplines including pathology, radiological and information technology as well as mobile technology and artificial intelligence. This highlights the need for transdisciplinary collaboration to ensure the efficient development and implementation of point-of-care diagnostics. The advent of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted rapid advances in the development of new POC diagnostics. Global private and public sector agencies have significantly increased their investment in the development of POC diagnostics. There is no longer a question about the availability and accessibility of POC diagnostics. The question is “how can POC diagnostic services be integrated into health services in way that is useful and acceptable in the COVID-19 era?”.</jats:p>

COVID-19 and beyond: Use of digital technology for pandemic response in Africa

“…Point-of-care diagnostic services (on-location healthcare including testing, scanning etc.) supplemented with machine learning and information systems should be prioritized in combating the ongoing pandemic and future outbreaks, since they have proved their necessity in previous healthcare epidemics like HIV ( 87 ). The development of reliable disease detection systems including, diagnostics, monitoring and developing well-equipped health facilities can help countries to prepare for future outbreaks ( 88 ).…”

Civil–Military Collaboration to Facilitate Rapid Deployment of a Mobile Laboratory in Early Response to COVID-19: A High-Readiness Exercise

“…Establishment of diagnostic methods can be especially challenging with emerging diseases because the readiness for rapid detection of novel pathogens is usually limited to, at best, 1 or a few central microbiological laboratories in a country. 4,5 As a result, in the early phases of an outbreak, diagnostic methods are limited by geography (more specifically, by the amount of time it takes to transport samples between the clinic and the laboratory) and analytical capacity (ie, by the number of samples that can be analyzed). [4][5][6] Implementation of methods for laboratory diagnosis for a newly emerged pathogen can be time-consuming at clinical microbiology diagnostic laboratories.…”

“…4,5 As a result, in the early phases of an outbreak, diagnostic methods are limited by geography (more specifically, by the amount of time it takes to transport samples between the clinic and the laboratory) and analytical capacity (ie, by the number of samples that can be analyzed). [4][5][6] Implementation of methods for laboratory diagnosis for a newly emerged pathogen can be time-consuming at clinical microbiology diagnostic laboratories. Thus, the ability to quickly identify cases in the beginning of an outbreak of a novel pathogen is limited in most countries.…”

“…Placing the laboratory near a health facility in the suspected epicenter of the outbreak shortens the time of transport from the sampling site to the laboratory and can result in more rapid identification of cases, compared with shipping samples to a central laboratory. 4,7,11 This is of even greater importance when there is a lack of therapeutic and/or prophylactic treatment, high mortality, or a low grade of preexisting immunity in the population, as with high-consequence pathogens and infectious diseases. 10 In response to previous outbreaks, several civilian and military mobile laboratory facilities have been established and may be used in or near outbreak areas, especially where regular laboratory infrastructure is limited or absent.…”

COVID‐19 test sites in Victoria approaching Stage 4 restrictions: evaluating the relationship between remoteness, travel time and population serviced

“…6 , 7 Certainly, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) point‐of‐care‐testing (POCT) sites – sites where incidences of the virus can be confirmed – have a vital role in managing and hopefully reducing the spread. 8 At a basic level, identifying people who have the virus can ensure that quarantine policies are adhered to and broader social distancing measures are implemented.…”