WONCA Special Interest Group: Point of care testing

Convenor: Prof. Dr. Jan Verbakel (Belgium)

email convenor

Associate Professor, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven (Belgium)
Senior Clinical Researcher, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford (United Kingdom)
General Practitioner and GP Trainer, Leuven (Belgium)
Co-Founder, LUHTAR and EPI-Centre

Prof. Jan Verbakel is a general practitioner and researcher with a strong interest in improving diagnostic tools and approaches in primary care. His work focuses on diagnostics such as identifying serious infections (in children), chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and gynaecologic cancers, and on the use of point-of-care testing to support timely and accurate clinical decisions.
Since 2017, he has been an associate professor at KU Leuven, where he is involved in teaching, mentoring, and research. Alongside his academic role, Prof. Verbakel continues to work as a GP partner in Leuven, combining research with hands-on patient care and the training of future general practitioners.
At the European level, he contributes as an advisor to the European Commission’s expert panel on in-vitro medical devices. In Belgium, he is part of the Working Group on Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) under the National Commission on Clinical Biology.

Research Background:
Prof. Verbakel’s research seeks to integrate effective diagnostic tools into everyday general practice. During a research fellowship at the University of Oxford in 2014, he worked on projects exploring point-of-care diagnostics, particularly for serious infections in children. His PhD, completed in 2015, examined the value of combining point-of-care CRP testing with vital signs and clinical prediction rules to identify severe illness in children. This work contributed to updates in the NICE guidelines on feverish illness in children and received recognition from the Royal Academy of Medicine in Belgium.
He is a co-founder of LUHTAR and EPI-Centre, which focus on advancing the use of diagnostic innovations in primary care.

Focus Areas:
Prof. Verbakel is committed to practical solutions that enhance patient care, ensuring that research findings are applicable in real-world settings. By balancing his academic, clinical, and policy roles, he aims to make diagnostic tools more accessible and effective for general practitioners. His work is informed by his experience as a family doctor and his belief in the importance of evidence-based decision-making at the point of care.

• 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).

International Survey

Updated December 2024

The WONCA Special Interest Group is launching a new international survey to assess the use of point-of-care tests (POCT) in general practice. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of POCT by primary care physicians has become increasingly relevant. This survey aims to provide valuable insights into current practices and the needs of GPs regarding these tests.

We warmly invite you to participate in this survey and encourage you to share it within your network. Your contribution will help ensure broader reach and enhance the study’s representativeness. Your support is essential for accurately reflecting the state of POCT in your country.

If you are interested in helping to distribute this survey locally, please contact Tine De Burghgraeve.

Thank you in advance for your valuable support and cooperation.

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.