Healthcare’s increased emphasis on value and quality of care offers a new and exciting role for point-of-care testing (POCT), which promises faster turnaround time and improved linkage to care and outcomes at a lower cost to patients. To learn more about POCT’s contribution to value-based care, sign up for the 27th AACC International CPOCT Symposium, taking place September 26–29 in Washington, D.C.

AACC’s Critical and Point-of-Care Testing Division is collaborating with the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) to present this conference, featuring five sessions:

  • POCT in public health and disease prevention;
  • Disease diagnosis and monitoring for the critically ill;
  • POCT in at-home patient self-management for acute and chronic diseases;
  • POCT and direct-to-consumer testing; and
  • New and emerging POCT technologies.

The conference organizers wanted to focus on all of the benefits POCT and critical care testing offer for patients, and healthcare in general. “So we landed on the topic of value as our central theme,” Leslie Donato, PhD, DABCC, chair of the conference’s organizing committee and co-director of cardiovascular laboratory medicine, hospital clinical laboratory and point-of-care testing at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, told CLN Stat.

The entire program focuses on some aspect of value, whether it’s improving inpatient workflows, assisting in public health screening for early disease detection, adding quality of hospital care, facilitating remote testing, or developing new technology to address unmet clinical needs. “Each session will highlight different aspects of this value proposition,” Donato said.

HIV, lipid, and lead testing options headline the track on public health and prevention. Presenters for the diagnosis and monitoring for the critically ill session will discuss novel testing options for acute kidney injury, in surgery hemostasis, and tests for respiratory tract infections. The session on at-home self-management will inform hospitals and providers on how to stay engaged with patients after they leave the hospital or clinic and perform and report their own POC tests.

The direct-to-consumer testing session will feature unique perspectives from a laboratory medicine professional and a medico-legal expert, and discuss ethical considerations. “The new technology session is always a highlight that brings the audience new and exciting ideas for what POCT options are on the horizon,” Donato said.

Danielle Freedman’s keynote on the big picture of POCT is a highly anticipated event. Freedman, MB, BS, of Luton & Dunstable University Hospital in Luton, United Kingdom, will discuss how POCT can add value to a healthcare system and ways institutions can assess and monitor POCT options. “She will focus on ways POCT can add value to diagnosis and can aid in improving clinical outcomes,” according to Donato.

A unique opportunity follows the symposium’s official conclusion this year. AACC will be partnering with IFCC to offer a companion session on the topic of glucose meter use in critically ill patients. Similar to a session offered at the 70th AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in Chicago, presenters will introduce a new IFCC report, How Should Glucose Meters be Evaluated for Critical Care?

Glucose meter use in very ill patients is a topic familiar to all healthcare providers and laboratory POCT professionals, Donato said. “I would encourage all conference attendees to stay for this highly informative, practical, hourlong IFCC session!” she said.

Overall, Donato hopes that CPOCT symposium attendees will have the opportunity to meet with their international colleagues, engage in meaningful discussion and debate, and learn innovative and useful CPOCT methods and practices from the session speakers. “I hope they leave with a renewed passion for improving the value that CPOCT strategies bring to overall patient care at their own institutions and practices,” she said.

Register now for The Role of Point-of-Care Testing in a Value-Based Healthcare Landscape: 27th AACC International CPOCT Symposium to learn about the present and future of POCT and earn 11 ACCENT and 11 CME credits. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on September 26 and conclude at 12:45 p.m. on September 29 in Washington, D.C.