Standardization, Harmonization, and Realization

Point-of-care testing is useful when caring for patients in hospital settings and in emergency and disaster situations. However, point-of-care professional practice lacks components, such as standardization, harmonization, and consistency, which would substantially improve patient care if implemented. Therefore, we propose adoption of whole-blood standards, harmonization among testing methods, and tighter quality control constraints. Granting these 3 wishes will improve quality at the point of care and ultimately will improve diagnoses, treatment decisions, and patient outcomes.