Analysis of the accuracy and precision of the Axis-Shield Afinion hemoglobin A1c measurement device

Point-of-care (POC) hemoglobin A1c measurement is now used by many physicians to make more timely decisions on therapy changes. A few studies have highlighted the drawbacks of some POC methods, e.g., poor precision and lot-to-lot variability. Evaluating performance in the clinical setting is difficult because there is minimal proficiency testing data on POC methods. In this issue of Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, Wood and colleagues describe their experience with the Afinion method in a pediatric clinic network, comparing these results to another POC method as well as to a laboratory high-performance liquid chromatography method. Although they conclude that the Afinion exhibits adequate performance, they do not evaluate lot-to-lot variability. As with laboratory methods, potential assay interferences must also be considered.