Point-of-Care Testing
What is Point-of-Care Testing?
Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) is medical testing performed at or near the patient’s bedside. Compared to centralised laboratory testing, POCT is convenient, quick, and affordable. It enables healthcare professionals to rapidly assess a patient’s molecular biomarkers, accelerating the personalisation of their treatment based on the results for improved clinical outcomes.
POCT is now entering the genomics era, where rapid, targeted genetic testing of patients allows the detection of genetic variants associated with elevated risks or suboptimal responses to therapeutics.
Why EQAs are important for Point-of-Care Testing
It is crucial to ensure that the results from these tests are sufficiently accurate and reliable enough to inform clinical decisions, since even the slightest error could have profound consequences for patients.
Using EQAs to check your laboratory’s ability to analyse relevant samples and interpret test results ensures that you are providing the highest possible quality of service to drive the best clinical outcomes.
Featured Point-of-Care Testing EQA Scheme and Device Verification Package
MT-RNR1 Point-of-Care Testing
MT-RNR1 testing is used in an acute clinical setting to detect a genetic variant associated with an increased susceptibility of neonatal hearing loss after treatment with aminoglycoside antibiotics (3, 4).
Variants tested in this scheme: MT-RNR1 m.1555A>G
- Includes patient(like) cell-based swabs, manufactured by EMQN using patient cell lines.
- One year subscription; participants will receive three EQA samples bimonthly (18 samples per year).
- Participants can process the EQA samples in the same way as a patient cheek/buccal swab.
- Participants return results per device to EMQN for assessment.
- EMQN provides a report with the participant’s results and a comparison to the consensus result.
MT-RNR1 Device Verification Package
- Includes package of EQA materials (device verification kit) to support device implementation and verification.
- Eliminates the need for extensive patient testing due to the rarity of this variant.
- Speeds up POCT device performance verification.
Managed POCT Service
We can provide different levels of service to cater for the unique needs of our customers in Point-of-Care settings, including a fully managed service for sites that do not have the support of a local laboratory Point-of-Care department for performance oversight.
EMQN will perform the tasks that are generally the remit of a Point-of-Care coordinator, e.g. instrument registration and database maintenance on EMQN’s platforms, result entry, issue reporting and interpretation, and poor performance management. This also includes a dedicated helpline service to provide customers with direct access to experienced personnel who can offer advice on method performance, interpretation, and troubleshooting.
Contact the EMQN office to discuss your needs.
Important POCT EQA scheme dates
| Scheme | Registration Period | Distribution Month | Results Deadline | ISO 17043 Status | Fee (GBP) |
| MT-RNR1 | Always open | Every 2 months | 4 weeks after distribution date | Not accredited | £1300 per year |
Relevant resources
Watch our video: An overview of POC genetic testing
Rosa Morra, Scientific Programme Manager, gave a talk about our role in advancing Point-of-Care Testing in pharmacogenomics at the ACGS meeting in Birmingham.
Learn about this exciting emerging field that provides insight into a patient’s likely drug response based on genomic profiling. Rosa also discusses what we can do to accelerate the implementation of Point-of-Care Testing in pharmacogenomics in a clinical setting and how EMQN is contributing to this field.
We hope you enjoy this short video which you can watch here.
