Explanation should include that POCT

• uses minute amounts of blood
• can be performed for immediate (i.e., stat) results without sending the patient to a laboratory setting
• uses a handheld glucose meter or comparable device.

Process/Skill Questions:

• Why is it important to have the ability to run a blood glucose level at the patient's bedside?
• Why is it often important to get immediate laboratory results on a patient?
• When is POCT more economical than traditional lab testing?