The Impact of Upper Respiratory Infection Testing at the POC: Speed, Outcomes, and Costs

Processes and Practices for Better Patient Outcomes and Efficiency

During the COVID-19 pandemic, decentralization of diagnostic testing away from big labs emerged as a powerful tool to slow community spread, initiate treatment plans, and facilitate the reopening of schools, businesses, and borders. The pandemic not only changed the way we provide testing, but patients’ perceptions of testing. Patients now expect a fast plan, actionable answers, and treatment without delay. As we look beyond COVID-19, it is important to leverage the processes and practices that were implemented during this time of crisis to continue to drive community health models that focus on better patient outcomes and overall efficiency.

This webinar will discuss the power of point-of-care testing for identification and differentiation of upper respiratory infections and what role these tests can play in the future. Focusing on how to choose the right test for the right patient, we will discuss the types of point-of-care tests (rapid antigen tests, lab-based PCR, and rapid PCR), the impact of accuracy on patient outcomes, workplace safety and medical costs, and the benefits of decentralization for timely, actionable results that can guide treatment decisions during a patient’s first visit. In addition, Dr. Vin Gupta will discuss how implementing rapid PCR tests impacts managing community and population health across a healthcare system. He will also address possible hurdles and economic factors that come into play when deciding to implement new testing options.

Learning Objectives

This webinar will help you:

• Assess the benefits of decentralization testing in healthcare systems
• Describe the future state of upper respiratory testing in a post pandemic and endemic era
• Identify the value of PCR in patient diagnosis at the point of care
• Explain how to implement rapid PCR testing in your health system

Watch on Demand

For research use only. Not for diagnostic procedures.

This webinar is produced by Whitehat Communications, a provider of continuing education programs in clinical laboratory sciences that has been approved by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.™ Program. One P.A.C.E. credit hour will be provided for this complimentary, basic-level program.

Dr. Vin Gupta, MD, MPA

As a Harvard-trained lung specialist, Dr. Gupta has spent the past 15 years working worldwide to improve public health for organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the Harvard Global Health Institute, the World Health Organization, and the Center for Global Health Engagement. Given his diversity of experiences, he is now a trusted advisor and contributor to national and international media outlets on several of the most important health issues today, including serving as a regular health policy analyst for NBC News and a contributor to The New York Times and CNN New Day.

Dr. Gupta is committed to voicing evidence-informed perspectives across a range of critical issues like U.S. healthcare reform, the vaping epidemic, the effects of climate change on human health, and gun control. In doing so, he speaks honestly and is driven by evidence, not opinion or dogma.