Diabetes
Diabetes is a highly prevalent disease also implicated in the development of several other serious complications like cardiovascular or renal disease. Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing plays a key role in the management of diabetes. Guidelines on HbA1c testing frequency and treatment modifications aim at supporting the achievement of glycemic targets.
HbA1c values represent average glycemic control over the past 2-3 months and account for both preprandial and postprandial blood glucose levels. Regular HbA1c measurement is recommended by international guidelines for all patients with diabetes for the assessment of glycemic control by providing information on long-term glycemic status and reliably predicting risk for diabetes-related complications. However, even though glycemic control has been shown to be significantly related to adherence to HbA1c testing frequency and treatment modification recommendations, compliance to these recommendations is observed in only about 3% of patients.
Micropoint Point-of-Care HbA1c Testing: Improve Diabetes Management
One potential disadvantage of traditional HbA1c laboratory testing is that results are not available at the time of the patient visit due to the turnaround time required for testing and reporting. Thus, health care providers have to communicate the test result and treatment modifications sometime after the patient’s visit. This delay in communicating results can delay intensification or modification of treatment and reduce patient adherence to the treatment plan. Previsit HbA1c testing (taken some days before the clinical visit), can be inconvenient and costly for patients due to the extra time and cost invested and lost in a second visit, moreover patients often arrive for clinical consultation without having visited the laboratory as instructed.
The intention of POC testing is to facilitate immediate medical decisions and therefore, to improve patient outcomes. The rapid availability of HbA1c results permits the discussion of the results face-to-face, and has the potential to improve patient-doctor dialogue and patient satisfaction, thereby facilitating improved glycemic control.
Micropoint POC HbA1c Testing, utilizing advanced microfluidic technology, focus on the accuracy and performance, offering customers a more convenient and cost-effective solution.
Micropoint mLabs® HbA1c test