A complete and practical analysis packed with facts, figures, forecasts and product/competitive assessments!
The point-of-care (POC) diagnostics market encompasses a wide range of products used outside the central laboratory, by either healthcare professionals, patient self-testers as supervised by a healthcare practitioner or by consumers. This includes products that test blood glucose levels, blood coagulation, fertility and pregnancy, infectious and cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as hospital testing in areas such as critical care, surgical and emergency departments.
Critical analysis and 5-year forecasts of key point-of-care diagnostic technologies, their prospects and the companies driving change and innovation.
The In Vitro diagnostics market was worth approximately US$43 billion in 2011 and grew approximately 4% compared with 2010. The Point-of-Care (POC) sector represents 35% of the overall market and was valued at US$15.1 billion in 2011.
The products covered in this report include those used by healthcare professionals and self-testers, which accounted for 33% of the POC sector, and consumer POC products which represented 7%. The remaining 60% of sales comes from blood glucose monitoring products.
The POC sector is growing faster than the overall IVD market. During 2011, growth in the POC sector, excluding consumer and glucose testing products, is estimated to have been 7%. Growth was driven by the increasing adoption of all types of POC technologies by both professional and self-testing users, as well as the launch of new products and rising demand in emerging markets.
POC Diagnostics is a sector on the move. Key reasons why it is interesting:
- POC diagnostics play a key role in the diagnosis and monitoring of acute and chronic illnesses, the detection of some types of cancer and infectious diseases, and for general blood and urine testing. It can also play a role in preventative medicine, which is intended to help curb the increasing incidence of chronic conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease through early detection and the identification of patients with risk factors.
- POC testing offers clear benefits over laboratory testing. As it is conducted near the patient, results are available more quickly, enabling healthcare providers to act swiftly to emergencies such as heart attack and provide a diagnosis while the patient is still in the healthcare facility, speeding treatment and reducing visits to the doctor. For patients, self-testing helps users control effectively their condition which lowers the time and cost of treating complications, and the need for them to regularly see their doctor.
- The POC diagnostics market is dominated by well-established and accepted product areas such as infectious disease and pregnancy testing. However, there is major growth potential for the adoption of POC technologies in settings such as hospital emergency, critical care and out-patient departments and areas without access to central labs.