Applying point-of-care testing to the hospital setting is crucial to the further quality improvement of the corresponding healthcare services and the patient’s well-being; furthermore, the patient’s recovery often hinges on the application of iStat POCT since the test helps save time and, therefore, address a certain cardiac issue in a prompt manner.
Therefore, the improvement in the quality of the services provided can be viewed as the primary reason for the introduction of iStat POCT in the contemporary healthcare system. The application of iStat POCT is likely to create prerequisites for efficient retrieval, usage, and the further transfer of patient information so that the appropriate treatment could be provided. Indeed, recent studies indicate that the testing can be viewed as assistance in bridging the geographical gap between the patients and the healthcare services. As a result, the patient’s needs are tended to in a much more efficient and expeditious manner which leads to the overall improvement of the quality of care, as well as the levels of patient satisfaction.
It should be borne in mind that, to administer a Troponin test to the target audience, no patient preparation is needed. Therefore, a significant amount of time is saved in the process. Similarly, the Creatinine test implies a simple procedure of taking a blood sample from the patient. Therefore, there is no need for patient preparation for the identified kind of testing, either. However, in certain cases, the patients may need to receive specific instructions that will allow taking the test faster and with less discomfort for the patient. The issue of fasting should be brought up, however; according to the latest recommendations on the subject matter, it is strongly recommended that the patient should not consume any food for at least twelve hours before the test is taken. The identified guidelines are provided for both Creatine and Troponin tests. The samples are to be collected with the help of a fine needle and a collection tube.
Seeing that the tests of both types are typically used to locate the effects of the heart attack, they do not have to be administered to the patient on a regular basis. Consistent quality control for Troponin and Creatinine, especially at low assay levels, is crucial since, when uncontrolled, the medicine will have an irreversible detrimental effect on the patient’s heart. Furthermore, the precision of the diagnosis hinges on the amount of medicine used. Therefore, safety communication tools for successful data transfer from one nurse to another, as well as from a nurse to a patient, are strongly recommended.
System maintenance is strongly recommended to keep the test results accurate. For instance, when using the test devices such as 1-Heck-1 (a test for Troponin), one should maintain the device in order. Furthermore, carrying out the testing process repeatedly every three to six hours is strongly advised so that the precision of the results could be improved.
The process of tests recording should be carried out in a careful and accurate manner. The use of IT tools may be included in the process. In the identified scenario, a nurse must follow the principles of patient’s personal data safety and integrity. Furthermore, efficient communication tools must be incorporated into the process so that feedback could be retrieved from the patient in a timely manner.