WONCA Special Interest Group: Point of care testing

Convenor: Dr Rogier Hopstaken (Netherlands)

email convenor

Rogier Hopstaken is a general practitioner and innovation specialist at star-shl diagnostic centers, a non-commercial cooperation delivering diagnostic services to over 2000 GPs in the Netherlands. His special interest is point-of-care testing (POCT).

Educated as a GP-researcher at Maastricht University, Dr Hopstaken has contributed to numerous research publications and book chapters, particularly in the field of diagnostic testing, lower respiratory tract infections, and C-reactive protein POCT. He is still involved in various research and implementation initiatives in this field, in collaboration with various research institutes. Dr Hopstaken is a member of several working groups in the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG) and in the POCT expertise group at the Dutch College of Clinical Chemists (NVKC), co-authoring guidelines on acute cough and rational laboratory testing. He is the principal author of the Dutch, multidisciplinary guideline on POCT in general practice. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the GP chronic care group PoZoB.

• Dr Anthony Omolola, Africa
• Dr Ndi Okwuosa, Africa
• Assoc Prof Bohumil Seifert, Europe
• Dr Cristina Isar, Europe
• Dr Tim Kolotyluk, North America
• Dr Raman Kumar, South Asia
• Dr Jose’ Carlos Prado Junior, Iberoamericana
• Dr Dalal AlArfaj, East Mediterranean
• Dr Igor Toskin, Europe (WHO Observer)

Aims

The Special Interest Group on Global Point-of-Care Testing aims to:

• Provide family doctors from all countries with an education, training and research forum to enable the practice of point-of-care testing to be integrated safely and sustainably into family medicine for the clinical benefit of patients under their care;
• Provide a primary point of leadership, advocacy, opportunity and knowledge exchange for the practice of POCT in family medicine.

The objectives of this Special Interest Group are to:

• Raise awareness of the scope and application of point-of-care testing for the detection and management of chronic, acute and infectious diseases in family medicine, particularly in rural and remote practices and in developing countries
• Provide web-based education and learning opportunities for family doctors (and their staff) to attain and upskill their knowledge on the practice of point-of-care testing, on the clinical utility of point-of-care tests and on point-of-care testing device options (including their advantages and limitations) for measuring selected tests
• Conduct workshops at future WONCA meetings to provide networking opportunities for interested family doctors as well as the ability to view current/new point-of-care testing technology
• Develop tailored educational material to target the specific regional needs of WONCA family practices and their communities
• Facilitate the opportunity for family doctors (and their staff) to engage in postgraduate education on point-of-care testing
• Provide training opportunities in the use of selected point-of-care testing devices
• Provide a framework for interested family doctors and their practices to participate collaboratively in working point-of-care testing field programs that have been co-ordinated by the Special Interest Group, and to disseminate and publish practice experiences and research results.

The Flinders University International Centre for Point-of-Care Testing will act as the global administrative hub for the WONCA Special Interest Group on Global Point-of-Care Testing.

Report July 2015

January 2015 newsletter

Report on workshop in Kuching May 2014

Activities Statement

The WONCA Special Interest Group on Global Point-of-Care Testing will initially focus on the following activities:

• Developing and implementing e-learning opportunities for family doctors to access information and to exchange knowledge on state-of-the art practices for point-of-care testing (commencing year 1 and on-going)
• Developing an on-line framework for the training of family practice staff in selected point-of-care testing devices (commencing across years 1 and 2, and on-going)
• Developing opportunities for interested family practices to participate and collaborate in point-of-care testing research programs, initially involving diabetes management (commencing in years 1 and 2, and on-going)
• Developing a presence at future WONCA Conferences through the organisation of workshops and/or symposia on clinical applications of point-of-care testing (on-going)
• Provide on-line and face-to-face opportunities for networking among WONCA family doctors in relation to all aspects of point-of-care testing (on-going).

General Web Links

World Health Organisation website on HIV/AIDS:

World Health Organization website on malaria rapid diagnostic tests:

World Health Organization Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of dengue fever:

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Rapid Syphilis Toolkit

International Diabetes Federation website and atlas on the global burden of diabetes

Relevant Articles

Shephard M. Point-of-Care Testing in Australia: The status, practical advantages, and benefits of community resiliency. Point of Care 2013; 12: 41-45.

Motta, L, Shephard M and Keen P. A review of the use of rapid HIV testing in community settings, with specific reference to Australia, Point of Care 2013; 12: 27-32.

Shephard M, Leibie A, Dimech W, Condie D, Nolan M. Guidelines and recommendations for the quality-assured conduct of point-of-care testing for infectious diseases and drugs of abuse in Australia, Australian Journal of Medical Science 2012; 33: 143-154.

Shephard M, Halls H and Motta L. New postgraduate academic qualification for Point-of-Care Co-ordinators. Point of Care 2012; 11: 173-175.

Shephard M. Point-of-care testing comes of age in Australia. Australian Prescriber 2010; 3: 6-9.

Shephard M, Shephard A, Watkinson L, Mazzachi B and Worley P. Design, implementation and results of the Quality Control program for the Australian Government’s Point of Care Testing in General Practice Trial. Annals of Clinical Biochemistry 2009; 46: 413–419.

Shephard M, Mazzachi B, Watkinson L, Shephard A, Laurence A, Gialamas A and Bubner T. Evaluation of a training program for device operators in the Australian Government’s Point of Care Testing In General Practice Trial. Rural and Remote Health 2009; 9: 1189. (Online).

Laurence C, Gialamas A, Yelland L, Bubner T, Ryan P, Willson K, Glastonbury B, Gill J, Shephard M, Beilby J. A pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the safety, clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and satisfaction with point of care testing in a general practice setting – rationale, design and baseline characteristics. Trials 2008; 9:50.

Shephard M. Clinical and cultural effectiveness of the ‘QAAMS’ point-of-care testing model for diabetes management in Australian Aboriginal medical services. Clinical Biochemist Reviews 2006; 27: 161-170.