Access and Quality of HIV-Related Point-of-Care Diagnostic Testing in Global Health Programs

Access to point-of-care testing (POCT) improves patient care, especially in resource-limited settings where laboratory infrastructure is poor and the bulk of the population lives in rural settings. However, because of challenges in rolling out the technology and weak quality assurance measures, the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical infectious diseases 2016-02, Vol.62 (3), p.369-374
Main Authors: Fonjungo, Peter N., Boeras, Debrah I., Zeh, Clement, Alexander, Heather, Parekh, Bharat S., Nkengasong, John N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
AIDS
Diagnostic Tests, Routine - methods
Global Health
Health care access
Health Services Accessibility
HIV
HIV Infections - diagnosis
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Inpatient care
Point-of-Care Systems
Public health
Quality of care
United Nations
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Summary:Access to point-of-care testing (POCT) improves patient care, especially in resource-limited settings where laboratory infrastructure is poor and the bulk of the population lives in rural settings. However, because of challenges in rolling out the technology and weak quality assurance measures, the promise of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–related POCT in resource-limited settings has not been fully exploited to improve patient care and impact public health. Because of these challenges, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), in partnership with other organizations, recently launched the Diagnostics Access Initiative. Expanding HIV programs, including the "test and treat" strategies and the newly established UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, will require increased access to reliable and accurate POCT results. In this review, we examine various components that could improve access and uptake of quality-assured POC tests to ensure coverage and public health impact. These components include evaluation, policy, regulation, and innovative approaches to strengthen the quality of POCT.
ISSN:1058-4838
1537-6591
DOI:10.1093/cid/civ866