Rapid and accurate diagnostic tests are very important for the global control of infectious diseases. The point of care diagnosis has become a promising strategy in recent years. Different kind of point of care testing devices has been introduced into the market in the last decade. These devices must provide a low-cost, robust, sensitive, specific, and practical analysis in order to replace the conventional clinical laboratory diagnostic test algorithms when needed. The successful implementation of point of care diagnostics has a potential to increase the strength of infectious diseases surveillance programs. Finally, the rapid progress in point of care diagnosis can stimulate a shift from a centralized diagnostic model to a decentralized patient-centered approach.PubMe
