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STI & AMR · Case-Based Insights · POCT Molecular · Application Insights
Case study: extending STI molecular testing from a referral lab into community points of care
Key takeaways
Decentralising STI molecular testing succeeds on operations, not chemistry: inhibition controls, connectivity, training, and consumable logistics decide whether same-visit treatment happens, and procurement should score exactly those four.
- Invalid and inhibition-failure rates, not platform speed, decide same-visit treatment.
- Score connectivity, training support, and consumable logistics above unit price.
- Run a two-pathway pilot with identical quality metrics before converting to tender.
- Keep confirmation, EQA participation, and quality oversight in the referral laboratory.
Target audienceSexual Health Services, Lab Manager, Procurement
Review and references
Compiled from public manufacturer materials and regulatory sources. Not independently verified and not reviewed by a named clinician.
2026-10-06
2026-10-06
professional use
FAQ
Common questions
Is this a real service’s pilot?
No. It is a composite scenario assembled from common patterns in STI testing decentralisation, written as a decision walkthrough. It does not describe a specific institution.
Why does specimen inhibition matter more at point of care?
Community-collected specimens bypass the laboratory’s usual adequacy checks. NAATs include internal controls, but a service must decide in advance what happens when inhibition occurs — re-collection, re-test, or referral — or same-visit treatment fails silently.
What quality metrics should a decentralised pilot track?
Track invalid rate, inhibition-failure rate, and turnaround, measured identically across the point-of-care and central-lab pathways, plus competency-record currency for clinic operators.
Does the central laboratory still have a role afterwards?
Yes: confirmation testing, complex specimens, resistance-referral work, external quality assessment for the network, and quality-system oversight of community sites remain central-lab responsibilities.