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Barriers, enablers, benefits, and drawbacks to point-of-care testing: a survey of the general practice out-of-hours service in Scotland.
- Source :
- BJGP Open; Jul2024, Vol. 8 Issue 2, p1-13, 13p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Background: The general practice out-of-hours (GPOOH) service is under pressure to treat more patients in less time, while reducing referrals and minimising diagnostic errors. Point-of-care (POC) testing involves rapid clinical tests that can be used to generate results during the consultation, and has the potential to facilitate managing these competing demands safely. Aim: To describe current availability of POC tests in GPOOH in Scotland, and identify barriers, enablers, benefits, and drawbacks to its use. Design & setting: Cross-sectional mixed-methods study, which surveyed opinions of clinicians working in the GPOOH service in NHS Scotland. Method: An electronic questionnaire was developed, designed, piloted, and distributed to clinicians, which had closed questions and areas for free text. Results: In total, 142 responses were received. Urine dipstick testing (99.2%), pregnancy tests (98.5%), oxygen saturation (97.7%), and blood glucose testing (93.9%), were the only POC tests commonly available in GPOOH in NHS Scotland. There was strongest support for the provision of POC tests, particularly C-reactive protein (CRP; 79.4%), strep A (76.0%), and D-dimer (75.2%). Responders felt that POC tests would improve confidence (92.3%) and safety (89.8%) surrounding clinical decision making, improve patient satisfaction (80.6%), and reduce hospital and secondary care referrals (77.5%). Barriers to POC test use were availability of the test kits and machines (94.5%), training requirements on how to use the machine (71.1%) and interpret results (56.3%), and time to do the test (62.0%). Conclusion: Few POC tests are in regular use in GPOOH in Scotland. GPOOH clinicians are supportive of using POC testing. They identified a number of benefits to its use, with very few drawbacks. Increased provision of POC testing in GPOOH in NHS Scotland should be considered urgently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- BLOOD sugar analysis
NATIONAL health services
HEALTH services accessibility
CROSS-sectional method
NURSES
OXYGEN saturation
LEUKOCYTE count
TROPONIN
SAFETY
FAMILY medicine
GLYCOSYLATED hemoglobin
PATIENTS
MEDICAL care
QUESTIONNAIRES
INTERNSHIP programs
EMERGENCY medical technicians
PREGNANCY tests
HEMOGLOBINS
POTASSIUM
CHLAMYDIA
ANTIMICROBIAL stewardship
HOSPITAL admission & discharge
COST analysis
EMERGENCY medical services
RAPID diagnostic tests
WORK experience (Employment)
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
KETONES
FIBRIN fibrinogen degradation products
PEPTIDE hormones
DECISION making in clinical medicine
SURVEYS
NURSE practitioners
THEMATIC analysis
ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHY
JOB satisfaction
RESEARCH methodology
URINALYSIS
INTERNATIONAL normalized ratio
POINT-of-care testing
DATA analysis software
CONFIDENCE intervals
PATIENT satisfaction
C-reactive protein
LIVER function tests
GLOMERULAR filtration rate
TIME
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 23983795
- Volume :
- 8
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- BJGP Open
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 179114255
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGPO.2023.0094