Our services
The Community Point-of-Care Services unit specialises in providing the
following services:
Education, training and competency assessment
for a range of community-based health professionals in the use of point-of-care
devices
Our education and training activities focus mainly on health professionals
from non-laboratory backgrounds and include nurses, Indigenous health
workers and general practitioners.
Quality management of point-of-care devices
in community medicine
This specialist service continually monitors the analytical quality of
POCT results generated on POCT devices used in our programs and assesses
the observed quality against national and international benchmarks (analytical
goals). Through these quality management procedures, we can ensure that
POCT results are of equivalent quality to those of the laboratory and
appropriate for patient care. We provide this quality management service
through a unique collaborative partnership with the RCPA (Royal College
of Pathologists of Australasia’s) Quality Assurance Programs Pty
Ltd).
Example of QAAMS training resources
|
QAAMS HbA1c Quality Assurance kit
|
Development, implementation and evaluation
of community-based research programs for chronic disease prevention and
management using POCT
We assist community health services, particularly those in rural and
remote locations, to establish and manage sustainable POCT services for
chronic and acute diseases, notably diabetes, renal disease, cardiovascular
disease, anaemia, electrolyte and blood gas disturbance and coagulation
disorders.
An important research component of our community work is to undertake
qualitative and quantitative POCT outcomes assessments, particularly in
relation to the safety, levels of satisfaction, and clinical and cultural
effectiveness of POCT. We work closely with our communities to collect
and analyse this research data.
On-going support services for communities
participating in our POCT programs
Our CPS unit also provides on-going support services for participating
services which include:
Telephone help line support (available during business hours)
Regular newsletters
Support for POCT device through collaboration with our industry
partners
Patient data management services, statistical analyses and
report writing
Community presentations
Scientific evaluation and validation of
POCT devices
Our scientific staff have an extensive background in laboratory medicine.
We undertake full scientific evaluations of all POCT devices used in our
community programs. We are regularly consulted by industry and asked to
conduct the first Australian evaluation of a number of POCT systems that
have come into the Australian market.
Mark Shephard teaching medical students at Mt Gambier
University Teaching of POCT at Graduate
and Post Graduate Levels
Bachelor of Medical Science, Flinders University
During the second semester of 2008, the Community Point-of-Care
Services (CPS) unit delivered a full topic on Point-of-Care Testing (POCT)
- Application, Management and Effectiveness to 3rd Year Bachelor of Medical
Science students at Flinders University (Topic Code: MDSC 3103). To our
knowledge, this is the first time that POCT has been taught as a full
topic at any Australian University.
The course, which was conceived and designed by the Director
of the CPS unit Dr Mark Shephard, comprised 12 lectures, 4 tutorials and
2 workshops. Key topics included:
• An introduction to POCT
• Analytical and technological aspects of POCT devices
• How to set up and manage a POCT service
• Quality management procedures for POCT devices
• A review of the current evidence base for the effectiveness of
POCT
• Outcome measures for assessing the effectiveness of POCT
• Community-based POCT models in Australia for both chronic and
acute diseases
• POCT in the Antarctic
• POCT for drugs of abuse testing
• POCT in a hospital environment
• Future directions for POCT in Australia and globally.
Several guest lecturers were included in the program,
including Dr Roland Watzl from the Polar Medicine Unit of the Australian
Antarctic Division. A capping of 20 students was imposed on the topic
in its first year and a full quota of students enrolled. Strong positive
feedback on the course was received from students.
Other teaching activities undertaken by the CPS unit include:
Teaching for Medical Students, Flinders University
POCT workshops are delivered for 3rd Year medical students undertaking
rural placements as part of the Flinders Graduate Entry Medical Program
(GEMP) and 2nd Year GEMP students as part of the students Regional Community
Week activities).
Mark Shephard teaching medical students at Victor Harbor
in 2007
Teaching for Nursing Students, Centre for Remote
Health
A POCT Workshop is conducted for remote area nurses as part of the
Masters of Remote Health Practice run by the Centre for Remote Health,
Alice Springs.
International Collaborations on POCT
While the focus of our community-based work has been within Australia,
our CPS unit is now actively engaged in international collaborative
work on POCT with partners from New Zealand, Africa, the Western Pacific
and Canada. We would welcome further enquiries regarding potential international
collaborations.