Collaboration for Better POCT: Healthcare Providers and Diagnostic Companies

Point-of-care testing (POCT) is a rapidly growing field of diagnostics that enables faster, more convenient, and cost-effective testing at or near the point of patient care. By providing timely diagnostic results, POCT can support better clinical decision-making, improve patient outcomes, reduce hospital admissions, and enhance patient satisfaction.

However, realizing the full potential of point-of-care testing requires close collaboration between healthcare professionals and diagnostic companies. Cooperation between healthcare providers, laboratory professionals, and the diagnostic industry is essential for developing practical POCT solutions, improving testing workflows, and driving innovation in patient care.

Challenges and Opportunities in POCT Collaboration

Healthcare providers and diagnostic companies often approach point-of-care testing (POCT) from different perspectives. Healthcare providers focus on delivering high-quality care, improving patient safety, and reducing healthcare costs. Diagnostic companies, on the other hand, are driven by innovation, patient healthcare management, market growth, and profitability.

These differences can create barriers to effective collaboration, including misaligned goals, limited trust, poor communication, and regulatory challenges. However, collaboration between healthcare professionals and diagnostic companies also offers significant opportunities to improve patient care and advance diagnostic innovation.

Why Collaboration Matters

By working together, healthcare providers and diagnostic companies can:

• Co-develop POCT solutions that address unmet clinical needs and improve patient outcomes

• Share data and insights to support evidence-based decision-making and performance improvement

• Combine expertise, resources, and professional networks to accelerate POCT innovation and adoption

• Build “beyond-the-product” partnerships that provide value-added services such as training, technical support, quality assurance, and data analytics

Several examples demonstrate how collaboration can support the successful implementation of point-of-care testing.

Kaiser Permanente and Siemens Healthineers formed an alliance to implement a standardized POCT program across 39 hospitals, with the goal of improving quality, efficiency, and compliance (1).

The collaboration reported the following outcomes:

• A 90% reduction in manual data entry errors

• A 50% increase in operator compliance

• More than $1 million in annual reagent cost savings

• A 30% improvement in turnaround time

• Improved patient safety and satisfaction

Partners HealthCare and Philips Healthcare also collaborated to create a digital platform for the remote monitoring and management of chronic diseases using POCT devices. The initiative focused on developing solutions for conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer (2).

NanoEntek has developed several point-of-care testing and in vitro diagnostic systems designed to support healthcare providers and patients through fast turnaround times and short test times of less than three minutes. In addition, the NanoEntek ADAM rWBC series has been selected as quality control equipment by the American Red Cross and supplied across many regions in the United States.

Takeaway message

These examples show that collaboration between healthcare providers and diagnostic companies can create value for both organizations, while also benefiting patients and society. Effective collaboration can support innovation, improve diagnostic quality, reduce costs, and expand access to point-of-care testing.

To realize the full potential of POCT, healthcare professionals and diagnostic companies need to overcome barriers such as communication gaps, regulatory challenges, and differences in organizational priorities. Strong partnerships can help transform point-of-care testing into more practical, efficient, and patient-centered diagnostic solutions.

Reference

1. POCcelerator™ Data Management System - Siemens Healthineers (siemens-healthineers.com)

2. Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Solutions | Philips

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