Point of Care Testing

Point-of-Care Testing (PoCT) includes any testing conducted outside the central clinical laboratory and is usually performed near the patient.

The testing site can include any intensive care unit, emergency department, or community health clinic. Testing is usually performed by the doctor or nurse attending to the patient as they can obtain a sample, perform the analysis, and record the test results. This form of testing provides rapid results that are used in patient management in a wide range of situations. Currently, the majority of PoCT is performed in regional and remote areas of Western Australia and provides critical results for clinical decision-making.

Some of the PoCT devices we currently support includes:

Please note: this is not the limit of testing available.

As PoCT continues to grow more assays will be added to our range of testing to assist in the management of several chronic health conditions commonly found through-out Western Australia.

One of the goals of the PathWest PoCT department is to continue to meet the clinical demands of metropolitan, regional, and remote health care environments. To achieve this, we have a PoCT submission form for requesting PoCT equipment and eLearning via MyLearning to facilitate training all PoCT users.

The PoCT group can also provide advice on available devices to suit different testing needs and should be contacted to discuss different requirements.

POCT Links

The PathWest Point of Care Testing Policy provides an overview of PoCT in WA Health and the the PoCT Submission Form is used to request PoCT equipment or change testing being performed. Please email PoCT if you require either document.

The PoCT eLearning modules can be accessed via each HSP’s MyLearning portal.