The National Rural Health Alliance provided feedback on the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) Point of Care Testing Standard consultation. The development of this Standard is welcome in rural Australia, where Point of Care Testing (POCT) is relied on extensively. The Standard recognises the value of POCT in improving timely clinical decision-making, which is particularly important in rural and remote communities where access to laboratory services is delayed or unavailable. Clearer national expectations around quality, governance and device performance will help support safe POCT delivery across diverse community settings. Feedback received acknowledges that flaws in the POCT implementation have led to unreliable results in the past which can lead clinicians in Emergency Departments to wait for formal laboratory-based testing before acting on the POCT results. The Alliance submission provides some general feedback and then addresses the specific questions asked by the ACSQHC and concludes with some aged care specific issues for consideration.
Submission