Citations

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 2026 ASAHP (Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions) Clinical Education Committee recommendations present a framework for advancing clinical education across health professions. This report emphasizes the importance of expanding clinical education settings, integrating artificial intelligence and telehealth into curricula, ensuring alignment of interprofessional competencies with accreditation standards, and continuing to facilitate collaborative practice across disciplines. These efforts are essential to training a workforce that is not only clinically competent but also adaptable, mindful of equity, and capable of thriving in diverse, team-based care settings. Equally critical is the call to elevate research and scholarly activity within clinical education. The report emphasizes the need for academic-clinical partnerships that support and complete an inquiry into the value, effectiveness, and innovation of clinical training. These recommendations aim to advance a responsive, inclusive, and outcomes-driven clinical education system that benefits students, educators, healthcare systems, and the communities they serve. These efforts reflect ASAHP's name and mission to advance health professions.