Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network
The United States has the highest annual per-capita health expenditures of developed
countries, yet its population still faces significant health challenges. Many changes
to the system are being proposed to address current inadequacies. To respond to
the needs of an increasingly unhealthy population comprised of individuals with
multiple chronic conditions, one goal of these changes is higher quality care at
reduced cost, with a shift in focus from utilization of specialized care for the
treatment of late-stage disease to an emphasis on patient-centered approaches and
coordinated care teams that promote wellness and effective disease management. The
evolving healthcare system includes new delivery models in which primary care physicians
and nurses are assuming more significant roles, with the patient more involved in
decision-making and self-care. These changes require the development of inexpensive
and easy-to-use medical devices and information sharing tools that provide timely
health status information at the point of care.
To address these challenges, the NIBIB created the Point-of-Care Technologies Research
Network (POCTRN) in 2007. POCTRN’s purpose is to drive the development of appropriate
point-of-care diagnostic technologies through collaborative efforts that merge scientific
and technological capabilities with clinical need.
Each POCTRN Center performs the following functions:
- Assessment of clinical and user needs to inform device design and further define
publicly available clinical needs information
- Evaluation of promising point-of-care prototype devices from the perspective of
device performance and potential for clinical impact
- Completion of clinical testing appropriate for the stage of development of the chosen
prototype and the target clinical application, to facilitate translation and commercialization
- Training and education of relevant stakeholders in the development and utilization
of POC technologies, including technology developers, industry partners, practitioners
and the lay community (as potential users)
- Development of partnerships with industry and other stakeholders to facilitate commercialization
- Utilization of Network collaboration as needed to achieve goals and increase visibility
of point-of-care testing
Opportunities for collaboration with each Center can be identified by contacting
the Center Director or POCTRN Program Director.
For general information, contact:
Brenda Korte, Ph.D.
Program Director, Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network
6707 Democracy Blvd
Suite 200
Bethesda, MD 20892
301-402-1231 (Phone)
301-480-1614 (Fax)
E-mail: kortebr@mail.nih.gov
POCTRN Centers
The Center for Point-of-Care Tests for Sexually Transmitted
Diseases
Charlotte Gaydos, M.P.H., Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins
University)
Center for Future Technologies
in Cancer Care
Catherine Klapperich, Ph.D. (Boston University)
Point-of-Care
Technology Research Center in Primary Care
John Parrish, M.D. (The Center for Integration
of Medicine and Innovative Technology)
Last Updated On 10/22/2012