Point-of-Care (POC) is known as bedside or near-patient testing and is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the IVD market.
Point-of-Care or POC Systems include:
- Disposable systems or devices using reagent test strips - examples, include HIV rapid test kits and the various pregnancy and blood glucose testing kits
- Small analyzers, usually hand-held devices
- Desktop analyzers are larger and include systems designed for use in clinics or small laboratories
There are many drivers in this segment of the diagnostics market, such as:
- the rapidly growing home-testing market
- the potential for these devices to accelerate the patient care decision-making process
- the need to reduce overall length of stay in hospitals