Academic Journal
View in EDS

Benchmarking Institutional Support for Point-of-Care Testing Programs: Scale, Staffing, and Operational Challenges.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Benchmarking Institutional Support for Point-of-Care Testing Programs: Scale, Staffing, and Operational Challenges.
Authors: Yu M; Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States., Tran NK; Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States., Shaw JLV; Division of Biochemistry, The Ottawa Hospital and Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratories Association. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada., Larkey NE; Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States., Tolan NV; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University, St.Louis, MO, United States., Szczembara A; Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States., Donato LJ; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States., Maynard RD; Department of Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States., Khan AI; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Source: The journal of applied laboratory medicine [J Appl Lab Med] 2026 Sep 03; Vol. 11 (5), pp. 1243-1254.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101693884 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 2576-9456 (Print) Linking ISSN: 24757241 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Appl Lab Med Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: 2020- : Oxford : Oxford University Press
Original Publication: [Washington, DC] : American Association for Clinical Chemistry, [2016]-[2019]
MeSH Terms: Point-of-Care Testing*/organization & administration , Point-of-Care Testing*/standards , Point-of-Care Testing*/statistics & numerical data , Point-of-Care Testing*/economics , Benchmarking* , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling*, Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires
Abstract: Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) has expanded rapidly across healthcare systems, increasing both program scale and operational complexity. However, quantitative benchmarking data describing how POCT programs are structured and supported across institutions remain limited.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to characterize POCT program support, including program scope, staffing, operational practices, governance, and challenges. The survey was distributed electronically through professional networks, and 93 institutional responses were analyzed. Descriptive analyses were performed, and derived metrics, including sites per point-of-care testing coordinator (POCC), were used to evaluate the relationship between program scale and staffing.
Results: POCT programs demonstrated substantial variability in scale, with wide ranges in the number of testing sites and operator populations. Adoption spanned multiple test categories, and many institutions reported use of multiple platforms for the same assays. Training, competency assessment, and quality management activities were primarily supported by laboratory staff and POCCs, with documentation frequently partially electronic. Median POCC staffing increased with program size; however, sites per POCC also increased significantly across program scale tiers (Kruskal-Wallis P < 0.001). Governance structures and operational responsibilities varied across institutions, and common challenges included staffing limitations, training and compliance burden, multisite coordination, and IT/connectivity constraints.
Conclusions: POCT programs are expanding in scale and complexity, but workforce capacity and governance structures have not scaled proportionally. This mismatch creates a cumulative and multiplicative operational burden. These findings provide benchmarking data to inform scalable staffing models, governance strategies, and infrastructure development for sustainable POCT program management.
(© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine.)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260701 Date Completed: 20260903 Latest Revision: 20260903
Update Code: 20260904
DOI: 10.1093/jalm/jfag101
PMID: 42384409
Database: MEDLINE
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://resolver.ebsco.com/c/fiv2js/result?sid=EBSCO:cmedm&genre=article&issn=25769456&ISBN=&volume=11&issue=5&date=20260903&spage=1243&pages=1243-1254&title=The journal of applied laboratory medicine&atitle=Benchmarking%20Institutional%20Support%20for%20Point-of-Care%20Testing%20Programs%3A%20Scale%2C%20Staffing%2C%20and%20Operational%20Challenges.&aulast=Yu%20M&id=DOI:10.1093/jalm/jfag101
    Name: Full Text Finder (for New FTF UI) (ns324271)
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text Finder
    MouseOverText: Full Text Finder
Header DbId: cmedm
DbLabel: MEDLINE
An: 42384409
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Benchmarking Institutional Support for Point-of-Care Testing Programs: Scale, Staffing, and Operational Challenges.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Yu+M%22&quot;&gt;Yu M&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Tran+NK%22&quot;&gt;Tran NK&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Shaw+JLV%22&quot;&gt;Shaw JLV&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Division of Biochemistry, The Ottawa Hospital and Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratories Association. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Larkey+NE%22&quot;&gt;Larkey NE&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Pathology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Tolan+NV%22&quot;&gt;Tolan NV&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University, St.Louis, MO, United States.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Szczembara+A%22&quot;&gt;Szczembara A&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Donato+LJ%22&quot;&gt;Donato LJ&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Maynard+RD%22&quot;&gt;Maynard RD&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Pathology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Khan+AI%22&quot;&gt;Khan AI&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;JN&quot; term=&quot;%22101693884%22&quot;&gt;The journal of applied laboratory medicine&lt;/searchLink&gt; [J Appl Lab Med] 2026 Sep 03; Vol. 11 (5), pp. 1243-1254.
– Name: TypePub
  Label: Publication Type
  Group: TypPub
  Data: Journal Article
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Journal Info
  Group: Src
  Data: &lt;i&gt;Publisher: &lt;/i&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;PB&quot; term=&quot;%22Oxford+University+Press%22&quot;&gt;Oxford University Press &lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;i&gt;Country of Publication: &lt;/i&gt;England &lt;i&gt;NLM ID: &lt;/i&gt;101693884 &lt;i&gt;Publication Model: &lt;/i&gt;Print &lt;i&gt;Cited Medium: &lt;/i&gt;Print &lt;i&gt;ISSN: &lt;/i&gt;2576-9456 (Print) &lt;i&gt;Linking ISSN: &lt;/i&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;IS&quot; term=&quot;%2224757241%22&quot;&gt;24757241 &lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;i&gt;NLM ISO Abbreviation: &lt;/i&gt;J Appl Lab Med &lt;i&gt;Subsets: &lt;/i&gt;MEDLINE
– Name: PublisherInfo
  Label: Imprint Name(s)
  Group: PubInfo
  Data: &lt;i&gt;Publication&lt;/i&gt;: 2020- : Oxford : Oxford University Press&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;Original Publication&lt;/i&gt;: [Washington, DC] : American Association for Clinical Chemistry, [2016]-[2019]
– Name: SubjectMESH
  Label: MeSH Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing%22&quot;&gt;Point-of-Care Testing*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing+organization+%26+administration%22&quot;&gt;organization &amp; administration&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing%22&quot;&gt;Point-of-Care Testing*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing+standards%22&quot;&gt;standards&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing%22&quot;&gt;Point-of-Care Testing*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing+statistics+%26+numerical+data%22&quot;&gt;statistics &amp; numerical data&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing%22&quot;&gt;Point-of-Care Testing*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Point-of-Care+Testing+economics%22&quot;&gt;economics&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Benchmarking%22&quot;&gt;Benchmarking*&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Personnel+Staffing+and+Scheduling%22&quot;&gt;Personnel Staffing and Scheduling*&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Humans%22&quot;&gt;Humans&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Cross-Sectional+Studies%22&quot;&gt;Cross-Sectional Studies&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Surveys+and+Questionnaires%22&quot;&gt;Surveys and Questionnaires&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) has expanded rapidly across healthcare systems, increasing both program scale and operational complexity. However, quantitative benchmarking data describing how POCT programs are structured and supported across institutions remain limited.&lt;br /&gt;Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to characterize POCT program support, including program scope, staffing, operational practices, governance, and challenges. The survey was distributed electronically through professional networks, and 93 institutional responses were analyzed. Descriptive analyses were performed, and derived metrics, including sites per point-of-care testing coordinator (POCC), were used to evaluate the relationship between program scale and staffing.&lt;br /&gt;Results: POCT programs demonstrated substantial variability in scale, with wide ranges in the number of testing sites and operator populations. Adoption spanned multiple test categories, and many institutions reported use of multiple platforms for the same assays. Training, competency assessment, and quality management activities were primarily supported by laboratory staff and POCCs, with documentation frequently partially electronic. Median POCC staffing increased with program size; however, sites per POCC also increased significantly across program scale tiers (Kruskal-Wallis P &amp;lt; 0.001). Governance structures and operational responsibilities varied across institutions, and common challenges included staffing limitations, training and compliance burden, multisite coordination, and IT/connectivity constraints.&lt;br /&gt;Conclusions: POCT programs are expanding in scale and complexity, but workforce capacity and governance structures have not scaled proportionally. This mismatch creates a cumulative and multiplicative operational burden. These findings provide benchmarking data to inform scalable staffing models, governance strategies, and infrastructure development for sustainable POCT program management.&lt;br /&gt; (&#169; The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Association for Diagnostics &amp; Laboratory Medicine.)
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date(s)
  Group: Date
  Data: &lt;i&gt;Date Created: &lt;/i&gt;20260701 &lt;i&gt;Date Completed: &lt;/i&gt;20260903 &lt;i&gt;Latest Revision: &lt;/i&gt;20260903
– Name: DateUpdate
  Label: Update Code
  Group: Date
  Data: 20260904
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1093/jalm/jfag101
– Name: AN
  Label: PMID
  Group: ID
  Data: 42384409
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=cmedm&AN=42384409
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1093/jalm/jfag101
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        StartPage: 1243
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Humans
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cross-Sectional Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Surveys and Questionnaires
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Point-of-Care Testing organization & administration
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Point-of-Care Testing standards
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Point-of-Care Testing statistics & numerical data
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Point-of-Care Testing economics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Benchmarking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Benchmarking Institutional Support for Point-of-Care Testing Programs: Scale, Staffing, and Operational Challenges.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Yu M
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Tran NK
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Shaw JLV
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Larkey NE
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Tolan NV
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Szczembara A
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Donato LJ
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Maynard RD
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Khan AI
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 03
              M: 09
              Text: 2026 Sep 03
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 2576-9456
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 11
            – Type: issue
              Value: 5
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: The journal of applied laboratory medicine
              Type: main
ResultId 1