The application of glucose point of care testing in three metropolitan hospitals

The application of glucose point of care testing (PoCT) in hospitals has been a contentious subject for many years. No information is available regarding the extent to which glucose PoCT is used within the Australian hospital system and whether such testing is fit for its intended purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which glucose PoCT is used within three teaching hospitals and whether testing procedures operate within a framework of quality management. Eighty operators of glucose PoCT participated in a descriptive electronic survey. Specific training in glucose PoCT was limited, with 26% of respondents reporting no specific training in glucose PoCT and 52% of respondents reporting no specific on-going competency assessment for glucose PoCT. The application of quality control (QC) for hand-held meters was generally good, with the majority of respondents indicating that QC was performed on a regular basis. However, 17% of respondents reported that QC was done irregularly or not at all. Electronic reporting of results was limited with 77% of respondents reporting they enter results manually into paper records. The survey obtained data not previously available. It established that glucose PoCT would benefit from a closer adherence to a quality management framework.