Today, aside from the management of chronic conditions, healthcare is shifting the weight of its emphasis away from the mere control of diagnosed diseases toward earlier detection and even prevention.
Today, aside from the management of chronic conditions, healthcare is shifting the weight of its emphasis away from the mere control of diagnosed diseases toward earlier detection and even prevention.
One new way this important shift is being accomplished is with point-of-care diagnostic testing. By taking advantage of this technique, a patient can be diagnosed from just about anywhere — not just the standard hospital bed. This critical diagnostic change can give immediate results in a non-laboratory setting, thus supporting a more patient-centered approach to healthcare delivery.
There are a variety of ways point-of-care diagnostic testing is accomplished, including via lost-cost imaging technologies, sensor technologies and the use of biosensors, depending on patient and situation.
The way in which doctors care for patients is changing quickly and dramatically. With the help of wireless communications and other newer, cheaper technologies, patients are and will be increasingly able to take a more direct, hands-on role in their own health. As a result, healthcare will become more personalized and ultimately improve across the population, as more and more patients avail themselves of electronic immediacy.
Point-of-care diagnostic testing will ultimately improve quality-of-care while at the same time reducing malpractice incidents and saving lives. As more and more individuals participate in their own health management, they’ll inspire each other, creating a vital lateral ripple.