Editorial: Quality assurance, a key component to point of care testing regardless, of where testing is performed

摘要

Pointof care testing(POCT)refersto testing performedoutsideof thecentrallaboratory,nearerto thepatientandoftenatthepatient bedside. Within hospital environments the use of POCT is highly regulated and overseen by laboratories in most jurisdictions. The overseeing laboratoryis responsible for putting a frameworkis in-placeto ensure appropriate quality assurancepractices. These include, but are not limited to, training and certification of users, performance of quality control and external quality assessment, document control, inventory control and monitoring of quality indicators. The importance of accuracy in POCT is critical given the immediate availability of results for clinical action and quality is hindered in the absence of a quality assurance framework. Clinical end-users are rarely laboratory trained and do not always appreciate the importance or relevance of quality assurance practices. It is for this reason that POCT oversight from accredited laboratories is imperative. This special issue is focused on quality assurance practices related to POCT and includes reviews as well as original research on this important topic. Before POCT is implemented for clinical use, tests or devices require verification under the guidance of laboratory professionals, to ensure that the tests are fit for the intended clinical use. Verification data will also inform what risks may be associated with the testing so that educated decisions can be made.