POCT Accreditation ISO 15189 and ISO 22870: Making the Point

ISO 22870 lists specific requirements for the quality and competence of point-of-care testing (POCT), which are intended for medical laboratories in conjunction with ISO 15189. POCT characteristics include the availability of a large number of devices 24 h/day, a variety of analytical methods, clinical settings inside and outside the hospital, and general non-laboratory staff. ISO 22870 accreditation for adequate POCT management therefore poses a challenge for laboratory medicine, which is charged with leading and coordinating POCT with a multidisciplinary committee. La Paz University Hospital has a complex multitest and multisite network that has been accredited since 2017. In our experience, the particularly crucial areas for POCT accreditation are method performance verification, internal and external quality assurance, staff training and competency, and continuous improvement. ISO 22870 and ISO 15189 accreditation have led us to improve numerous areas regarding the total testing process and, consequently, our patients’ results.