ASVCP guidelines: quality assurance for point-of-care testing in veterinary medicine

Area of Science:

• Veterinary diagnostics
• Clinical pathology
• Laboratory quality assurance

Background:

• Point-of-care testing (POCT) is crucial in veterinary medicine but lacks standardized quality guidance.
• In-clinic laboratory testing quality concerns necessitate formal quality assurance (QA) protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop comprehensive QA guidelines for veterinary point-of-care testing (POCT).
• To address the need for improved quality management of small analyzers in veterinary settings.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and a consensus process were used to develop the guidelines.
• Recommendations cover formalized POCT approaches, SOPs, operator training, and performance assessments.

Main Results:

• Key recommendations include structured POCT management, staff training, and instrument performance evaluation.
• Utilizing statistical quality control, external quality assessment, and validated reference intervals are emphasized.
• A 13s control rule is recommended for control data interpretation where feasible.

Conclusions:

• These guidelines provide a minimum standard for veterinary POCT quality assurance.
• They aim to enhance the reliability of in-clinic chemistry and hematology testing for improved animal health outcomes.