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Dewez JE, Nijman RG, Fitchett EJA, Li EC, Luu QF, Lynch R, Emonts M, de Groot R, van der Flier M, Philipsen R, Ettelt S, Yeung S. Adoption of C-reactive protein rapid tests for the management of acute childhood infections in hospitals in the Netherlands and England: a comparative health systems analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:351. [PMID: 38504318 PMCID: PMC10949747 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10698-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adoption of C-reactive protein point-of-care tests (CRP POCTs) in hospitals varies across Europe. We aimed to understand the factors that contribute to different levels of adoption of CRP POCTs for the management of acute childhood infections in two countries. METHODS Comparative qualitative analysis of the implementation of CRP POCTs in the Netherlands and England. The study was informed by the non-adoption, abandonment, spread, scale-up, and sustainability (NASSS) framework. Data were collected through document analysis and qualitative interviews with stakeholders. Documents were identified by a scoping literature review, search of websites, and through the stakeholders. Stakeholders were sampled purposively initially, and then by snowballing. Data were analysed thematically. RESULTS Forty-one documents resulted from the search and 46 interviews were conducted. Most hospital healthcare workers in the Netherlands were familiar with CRP POCTs as the tests were widely used and trusted in primary care. Moreover, although diagnostics were funded through similar Diagnosis Related Group reimbursement mechanisms in both countries, the actual funding for each hospital was more constrained in England. Compared to primary care, laboratory-based CRP tests were usually available in hospitals and their use was encouraged in both countries because they were cheaper. However, CRP POCTs were perceived as useful in some hospitals of the two countries in which the laboratory could not provide CRP measures 24/7 or within a short timeframe, and/or in emergency departments where expediting patient care was important. CONCLUSIONS CRP POCTs are more available in hospitals in the Netherlands because of the greater familiarity of Dutch healthcare workers with the tests which are widely used in primary care in their country and because there are more funding constraints in England. However, most hospitals in the Netherlands and England have not adopted CRP POCTs because the alternative CRP measurements from the hospital laboratory are available in a few hours and at a lower cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Emmanuel Dewez
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ruud G Nijman
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Edmond C Li
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Institute of Global Health Innovation, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Queena F Luu
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Lynch
- Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Marieke Emonts
- Paediatric Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Allergy, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ronald de Groot
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Centre for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel van der Flier
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ria Philipsen
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Radboud Centre for Infectious Diseases, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Stefanie Ettelt
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Prognos AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Shunmay Yeung
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
- Department of Paediatrics, St Mary's Imperial College Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.
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2
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Dewez JE, Pembrey L, Nijman RG, del Torso S, Grossman Z, Hadjipanayis A, Van Esso D, Lim E, Emonts M, Burns J, Gras-LeGuen C, Kohlfuerst D, Dornbusch HJ, Brengel-Pesce K, Mallet F, von Both U, Tsolia M, Eleftheriou I, Zavadska D, de Groot R, van der Flier M, Moll H, Hagedoorn N, Borensztajn D, Oostenbrink R, Kuijpers T, Pokorn M, Vincek K, Martinón-Torres F, Rivero I, Agyeman P, Carrol ED, Paulus S, Cunnington A, Herberg J, Levin M, Mujkić A, Geitmann K, Da Dalt L, Valiulis A, Lapatto R, Syridou G, Altorjai P, Torpiano P, Størdal K, Illy K, Mazur A, Spreitzer MV, Rios J, Wyder C, Romankevych I, Basmaci R, Ibanez-Mico S, Yeung S. Availability and use of rapid diagnostic tests for the management of acute childhood infections in Europe: A cross-sectional survey of paediatricians. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275336. [PMID: 36538525 PMCID: PMC9767335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Point-of-care-tests (POCTs) have been advocated to optimise care in patients with infections but their actual use varies. This study aimed to estimate the variability in the adoption of current POCTs by paediatricians across Europe, and to explore the determinants of variability. METHODS AND FINDINGS A cross-sectional survey was conducted of hospital and primary care paediatricians, recruited through professional networks. Questions focused on the availability and use of currently available POCTs. Data were analysed descriptively and using Median Odds Ratio (MOR) to measure variation between countries. Multilevel regression modelling using changes in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of models were used to assess the contribution of individual or workplace versus country level factors, to the observed variation. The commonest POCT was urine dipsticks (UD) which were available to >80% of primary care and hospital paediatricians in 68% (13/19) and 79% (23/29) countries, respectively. Availability of all POCTs varied between countries. In primary care, the country (MOR) varied from 1.61 (95%CI: 1.04-2.58) for lactate to 7.28 (95%CI: 3.04-24.35) for UD. In hospitals, the country MOR varied from 1.37 (95%CI:1.04-1.80) for lactate to 11.93 (95%CI:3.35-72.23) for UD. Most paediatricians in primary care (69%, 795/1154) and hospital (81%, 962/1188) would use a diagnostic test in the case scenario of an infant with undifferentiated fever. Multilevel regression modelling showed that the country of work was more important in predicting both the availability and use of POCTs than individual or workplace characteristics. CONCLUSION There is substantial variability in the adoption of POCTs for the management of acute infections in children across Europe. To inform future implementation of both existing and innovative tests, further research is needed to understand what drives the variation between countries, the needs of frontline clinicians, and the role of diagnostic tests in the management of acute childhood infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Emmanuel Dewez
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
| | - Lucy Pembrey
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ruud G. Nijman
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Research in European Paediatric Emergency Medicine (REPEM)
| | - Stefano del Torso
- ChildCare WorldWide, Padova, Italy
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
| | - Zachi Grossman
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Pediatric Clinic, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Adamos Hadjipanayis
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Paediatric Department, Larnaca General Hospital, Larnaca, Cyprus
- Medical School, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Diego Van Esso
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Primary Care Paediatrician, Health Care Centre Pere Grau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emma Lim
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Great North Children’s Hospital, Paediatric Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Allergy, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Marieke Emonts
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Great North Children’s Hospital, Paediatric Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Allergy, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - James Burns
- Department of Medical Statistics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christèle Gras-LeGuen
- Centre d’Investigation Clinique CIC1413, INSERM-Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Daniela Kohlfuerst
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Hans Jürgen Dornbusch
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Karen Brengel-Pesce
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- BioMérieux, Lyon, France
| | - Francois Mallet
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- BioMérieux, Lyon, France
| | - Ulrich von Both
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Tsolia
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- P. and A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Irini Eleftheriou
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- P. and A. Kyriakou Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Dace Zavadska
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Children Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia
| | - Ronald de Groot
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel van der Flier
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Henriëtte Moll
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Research in European Paediatric Emergency Medicine (REPEM)
- Department of General Paediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nienke Hagedoorn
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of General Paediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dorine Borensztajn
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of General Paediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rianne Oostenbrink
- Research in European Paediatric Emergency Medicine (REPEM)
- Department of General Paediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children’s Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Taco Kuijpers
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marko Pokorn
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Vincek
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Irene Rivero
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Philipp Agyeman
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Enitan D. Carrol
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Stéphane Paulus
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Paediatrics, Oxford Vaccine Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Aubrey Cunnington
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jethro Herberg
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Levin
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Section of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Aida Mujkić
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Andrija Štampar School of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Karin Geitmann
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Primary Care Paediatrician, BVKJ, Hagen, Germany
| | - Liviana Da Dalt
- Research in European Paediatric Emergency Medicine (REPEM)
- Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy
| | - Arūnas Valiulis
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Vilnius University Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Clinic of Children’s Diseases, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Risto Lapatto
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Department of Paediatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Garyfallia Syridou
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Attiko University Hospital, Chaidari, Greece
| | - Péter Altorjai
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Association of Hungarian Primary Care Paediatricians, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Paul Torpiano
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Health at Mater Dei Hospital, Valletta, Malta
| | - Ketil Størdal
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Paediatric Research Institute, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Károly Illy
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Dutch Society of Paediatrics NVK, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Artur Mazur
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Medical College of Rzeszow University, Rzeszów, Poland
| | - Mateja Vintar Spreitzer
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Zdravstveni dom Domžale, Slovenian Paediatric Society, Burnaby, Slovenia
| | - Joana Rios
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal
| | - Corinne Wyder
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Kinderärzte KurWerk, Burgdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ivanna Romankevych
- European Academy of Paediatrics Research in Ambulatory Settings network (EAPRASnet)
- Ukrainian Academy of Pediatric Specialties, Ukraine
| | - Romain Basmaci
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Service de Pédiatrie-Urgences, AP-HP, Hôpital Louis-Mourier, Colombes, France
| | | | - Shunmay Yeung
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Personalised Risk Assessment in Febrile Illness to Optimise Real-Life Management Across the European Union (PERFORM)
- Department of Paediatrics, St Mary’s Imperial College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Raymond ME, Bird C, van Hecke O, Glogowska M, Hayward G. Point-of-care diagnostic technology in paediatric ambulatory care: a qualitative interview study of English clinicians and stakeholders. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e059103. [PMID: 35672068 PMCID: PMC9174781 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Point-of-care (POC) tests have the potential to improve paediatric healthcare. However, both the development and evaluation of POC technology have almost solely been focused on adults. We aimed to explore frontline clinicians' and stakeholders' current experience of POC diagnostic technology in children in England; and to identify areas of unmet need. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Qualitative semistructured telephone interviews were carried out with purposively sampled participants from clinical paediatric ambulatory care and charity, industry and policymaking stakeholders. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS We interviewed 19 clinicians and 8 stakeholders. The main perceived benefits of POC tests and technologies were that they aided early decision-making and could be convenient and empowering when used independently by patients and families. Clinicians and stakeholders wanted more POC tests to be available for use in clinical practice. Most recognised that play and reward are important components of successful POC tests for children. Clinicians wanted tests to give them answers, which would result in a change in their clinical management. Detecting acute serious illness, notably distinguishing viral and bacterial infection, was perceived to be an area where tests could add value. POC tests were thought to be particularly useful for children presenting atypically, where diagnosis was more challenging, such as those less able to communicate, and for rare serious diseases. Many participants felt they could be useful in managing chronic disease. CONCLUSIONS This exploratory study found that clinicians and stakeholders supported the use of diagnostic POC technology in paediatric ambulatory care settings in England. Some existing tests are not fit for purpose and could be refined. Industry should be encouraged to develop new child-friendly tests tackling areas of unmet need, guided by the preferred characteristics of those working on the ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meriel Elizabeth Raymond
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Chris Bird
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Emergency Department, Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham, UK
| | - Oliver van Hecke
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Margaret Glogowska
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Gail Hayward
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
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Rasti R, Brännström J, Mårtensson A, Zenk I, Gantelius J, Gaudenzi G, Alvesson HM, Alfvén T. Point-of-care testing in a high-income country paediatric emergency department: a qualitative study in Sweden. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e054234. [PMID: 34824122 PMCID: PMC8627407 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In many resource-limited health systems, point-of-care tests (POCTs) are the only means for clinical patient sample analyses. However, the speed and simplicity of POCTs also makes their use appealing to clinicians in high-income countries (HICs), despite greater laboratory accessibility. Although also part of the clinical routine in HICs, clinician perceptions of the utility of POCTs are relatively unknown in such settings as compared with others. In a Swedish paediatric emergency department (PED) where POCT use is routine, we aimed to characterise healthcare providers' perspectives on the clinical utility of POCTs and explore their implementation in the local setting; to discuss and compare such perspectives, to those reported in other settings; and finally, to gather requests for ideal novel POCTs. DESIGN Qualitative focus group discussions study. A data-driven content analysis approach was used for analysis. SETTING The PED of a secondary paediatric hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-four healthcare providers clinically active at the PED were enrolled in six focus groups. RESULTS A range of POCTs was routinely used. The emerging theme Utility of our POCT use is double-edged illustrated the perceived utility of POCTs. While POCT services were considered to have clinical and social value, the local routine for their use was named to distract clinicians from the care for patients. Requests were made for ideal POCTs and their implementation. CONCLUSION Despite their clinical integration, deficient implementation routines limit the benefits of POCT services to this well-resourced paediatric clinic. As such deficiencies are shared with other settings, it is suggested that some characteristics of POCTs and of their utility are less related to resource level and more to policy deficiency. To address this, we propose the appointment of skilled laboratory personnel as ambassadors to hospital clinics offering POCT services, to ensure higher utility of such services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Rasti
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Paediatric Rheumatology Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Paediatric Immuno-psychiatry Unit, CAP Research Centre, Stockholm Healthcare Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Brännström
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Mårtensson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, International Maternal and Child Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ingela Zenk
- Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, South General Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jesper Gantelius
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giulia Gaudenzi
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Tobias Alfvén
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, South General Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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