Anyone involved in the oversight of a POCT program knows firsthand that it is not an easy endeavor to track and manage POCT across locations, devices, and operators. Within a healthcare organization, testing may take place in dozens of locations, with different tests and devices in each location, and hundreds to thousands of end operators who all require training and assessments. Using statistics from the Whitehat Communications webinar series, we’ve put together an infographic that highlights challenges those managing POCT experience. Meeting regulatory requirements and performing competency assessments top the list of concerns for POC coordinators. Additionally, POCT regulatory requirements are the most difficult tasks for POC coordinators.
POCT Is Not Going Away
Yet, POCT is increasing in demand and in its value as part of a value-based care system and a patient engagement tool. Technologies are advancing and new POC methodologies are being implemented. 69% of respondents are seeing an increase in requests for additional POCT.
Connectivity
Per the survey, 75% of respondents indicated that their POCT is integrated with their EHR. In today’s healthcare environment, this is mandatory so that results are immediately available to the care team to allow for timely decisions. This is how the rapid turnaround time that POCT offers is maximized. Orchard® Trellis™ can connect remote testing sites, accepting orders from various EHRs and routing results back to the care team. This connectivity also facilitates automated billing of POCT.
Quality Management & Data Analytics
37% of POC coordinators use error detection as a quality management metric, and 26% indicate using proficiency testing results to track quality. Trellis can help you keep track of these statistics and allows for the creation of valuable analytic reports required for inspection.
Tracking Operator Training & Assessments
It is well known that having a plethora of different healthcare workers as end operators for POCT alongside the requirements for training and competency assessments is challenging. A large number—78% of survey respondents—have staff other than RNs and providers performing testing; 18% selected educating POCT operators as one of the most difficult tasks they handle; another 16% have concerns about forming strong relationships with the nursing department. To ease these concerns, Trellis includes help for tracking competency assessments with color-coded icons to indicate operator training status so that you can easily know who is due for training.
Ease the Challenges of POCT Management with Orchard Point-of-Care
Orchard Point-of-Care is designed for remote oversight of POCT, supporting centralized governance of a comprehensive POCT program across patient testing locations. Trellis solves many of the problems associated with POCT management by enabling remote oversight to track patient testing, devices, operator certifications, and QC.
Our Commitment
Orchard is committed to keeping you informed and being a trusted resource you can turn to for industry-related education. As always, we welcome your feedback. Follow us on Twitter at @OrchardSoftware, and feel free to respond to this post by emailing us at news@orchardsoft.com.