POCT のための装置とシステム(6)

我が国の POCT の現状，検体の取扱，
保険診療上の留意点

〆　谷　直　人*
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
The Current Method of Handling of Test Samples and
Medical Reimbursement for POCT in Japan

Naoto SHIMETANI, MD*

Point of care testing(POCT) is defined as clinical testing done at or near the site of patient treatment and care in the medical field, and includes all clinical test other than those performed at hospital laboratories and outside testing centers. Home testing is also a form of POCT relating to residential medical care.
The ratio of clinical tests based on POCT has not tended to increase as rapidly in Japan, although such tests are greatly increasing in the US while clinical tests performed at hospital laboratories are decreasing.
POCT products are generally applied to direct analysis of test samples obtained from patients. Since storage, transportation or pretreatment after sampling is not necessary in POCT, test data can be obtained in real time. Therefore, it is important to complete testing immediately after obtaining samples without transporting or storing them, when handling POCT samples.
Consideration of POCT as a part of health care services covered by health insurance is the same as in the case of conventional testing.
Recent technological innovation has provided a wide variety of POCT products that do not require medical equipment or reagents. Further development of novel, innovative POCT procedures in the near future is promising.
[Rinsho Byori 50 : 958〜964, 2002 ]

*Department of Clinical Pathology, Koshigaya Hospital Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Koshigaya 343-8555

【Key Words】point of care testing：POCT，home testing(家庭検査)，medical reimbursement(保険請求)

*獨協医科大学越谷病院臨床検査部(〒343-8555 越谷市南越谷2-1-50)

E-mail :shime@dokkyomed.ac.jp