Point-of-care testing

A friend just sent me the last European Healthcare Investment report, and it clearly highlights an exciting scenario for innovation in medical devices and services. According to this report, the pharma industry is in deep trouble, and faces tough years ahead.

We all know that big and old pharma companies are facing a tough future, with weak pipelines, patent challenges from generics companies and a hostile regulatory environment. They will be forced to adapt to and accommodate generics companies and cutting edge biological treatment developers. Biotech start-ups are on the rise, and they are the ones innovating.

What interested me the most in reading the report is how it predicts the proliferation of point-of-care testing. I couldn’t agree more with it. I am not at liberty of discussing the start-ups that we are monitoring, but I can tell you point-of-care testing is gaining momentum. Fast and convenient diagnostics outside hospital premises will definitely be one of the important trends for the next years.

The development of miniaturisation means that point-of-care testing for virtually any measure or condition is now available. The whole healthcare is being reorganised to put patients first. And what could be more aligned with this than lab results “on-the-fly”, even as "do-it-yourself kits" to allow patients to monitor their health?

In the future, more care will be delivered in the primary care environment, and this will need point-of-care testing. These new technologies will have a great impact on the application of efficient diagnostics and, more importantly, on patient outcomes.