Benchmarking Institutional Support for Point-of-Care Testing Programs: Scale, Staffing, and Operational Challenges

Area of Science:

• Clinical diagnostics and laboratory medicine
• Healthcare management and operations
• Point-of-care testing (POCT) program evaluation

Background:

• Point-of-care testing (POCT) programs are rapidly expanding in healthcare, increasing complexity.
• Limited quantitative data exists on the structure and support of institutional POCT programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize the support structures, operational practices, and challenges of POCT programs.
• To provide benchmarking data for scalable POCT program management.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was electronically distributed to 93 institutions.
• Data collected included program scope, staffing, operations, governance, and challenges.
• Descriptive analyses and derived metrics (e.g., sites per POCC) were used.

Main Results:

• POCT programs varied significantly in scale, test categories, and platform use.
• Laboratory staff and POCCs primarily supported training and quality management.
• Staffing (sites per POCC) did not scale proportionally with program size, and common challenges included staffing, training, and IT constraints.

Conclusions:

• POCT program expansion outpaces workforce capacity and governance, creating operational burdens.
• Benchmarking data can inform scalable staffing models and governance for sustainable POCT management.
• Addressing staffing, training, and IT challenges is crucial for effective POCT program development.