Point-of-care testing (POCT) is growing in popularity as a means of delivering faster turnaround time of test results closer to the patient. This session will review the latest recommendations and clinical scenarios where rapid diagnosis of pregnancy is needed. The benefits and limitations of POCT will be explored.
- When should POCT hCG testing be considered in place of laboratory hCG?
- Quantitative hCG testing compared with qualitative hCG POCT
- Are qualitative POC hCG devices susceptible to hook effect?
Learning objectives
- Identify best practice for the use of POCT hCG pregnancy tests
- Explore the advantages and limitations of POCT hCG tests
Who Should Attend?
- Physicians
- Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners
- Physician Assistants
- POC Coordinators
- Clinicians
- Laboratory Technicians/ Technologists
- Healthcare Professionals
Speaker:
James H. Nichols, PhD, DABCC, FAACC
Professor of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
Medical Director, Clinical Chemistry and Point-of-Care Testing
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Dr. Nichols received his B.A. in General Biology/Premedicine from Revelle College, University of California at San Diego. He went on to complete a Masters and Doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Nichols was a fellow in the Postdoctoral Training Program in Clinical Chemistry at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He is board certified in both Clinical Chemistry and Toxicological Chemistry by the American Board of Clinical Chemistry.
Dr. Nichols spent several years as Associate Director of Clinical Chemistry, Director of Point-of-Care Testing, and an Associate Professor of Pathology at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. He later served as Medical Director of Clinical Chemistry for Baystate Health in Springfield, MA and was a Professor of Pathology at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Nichols’ research interests span evidence-based medicine, information management, laboratory automation, point-of-care testing and toxicology.