Spot test: new technologies bring point-of-care testing into the 21st century

Every new technology offers the potential to effect changes in practise; many developments driven by the world-wide demand for instant results. This is never as true as in the arena of diagnostic testing. Once the sole preserve of the hospital laboratory increasingly tests are now being performed nearer to the patient in clinics and the home. New technology is driving the development of greater number of more sophisticated tests that can be applied in a wider range of clinical situations where rapid results bring benefit. These new tests rely on a spectrum of novel technologies ranging from simple, easy-to-read dip-sticks to molecular based sensing techniques