CHS217 Perform point of care testing

Overview

This standard relates to clinical or pathology testing applied at the point of care. Point of care testing may involve single test devices or equipment with wider applications and involves adherence to approved protocols and quality performance checks. Point of care testing may be undertaken by health care individuals or external health agencies and organisations within a wide range of environments. Idividuals will be assessed against this standard for the range of point of care investigation within their responsibility. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 1

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. your own level of competence, authority and knowledge base related to point of care testing
2. why it is important to ensure your role and responsibilities applicable to point of care testing are clearly defined and implications of exceeding these
3. the importance of accountability, reporting and referral structures for point of care testing and how to seek appropriate advice and assistance
4. the importance of checking the identity of the individual and authorisation for the point of care procedure
5. why it is important to match the point of care request against the tests planned; how and where to raise queries if discrepancies occur
6. the range and types of point of care resources, equipment and their limitations within your work activities
7. where to obtain the risk assessment to minimise the risks arising from undertaking point of care procedures
8. how to conduct the point of care procedures in line with health and safety requirements and infection prevention and control measures
9. why it is necessary to conduct procedures correctly in accordance with set protocols and policies
10. the expected performance and quality control criteria for checking the operational parameters for the type of equipment, resources and associated systems
11. the importance and relevance of quality checking within point of care procedures and the actions to take when results fall outside expected parameters; how and where  to seek appropriate advice and assistance
12. how to disposal of waste materials and undertake decontamination of equipment used within the point of care procedure in line with legal and organisational requirements
13. the reporting and referral structures for the point of care results within your work practice
14. why it is important to complete all necessary documentation accurately in the required format, in a timely manner and store in correct location
15. the current national legislation, guidelines, local policies and protocols which affect  your work practice
16. the policies and guidance that clarify your scope of practice, accountabilities and the working relationship between yourself and others

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. work within your level of competence, responsibility and accountability
2. confirm the individual’s identity against the point of care request and check authorisation for the procedure
3. where applicable, clearly explain the procedure to the individual and confirm their understanding
4. position and quality check the appropriate equipment, resources and associated systems for the point of care procedure with due regard to confidentiality, safety and access
5. confirm that all resources are of correct type, fully operational within expected performance parameters and safety requirements
6. apply appropriate health and safety measures and standard precautions for infection prevention and control relevant to the test procedure and environment
7. conduct the point of care procedure in accordance with the approved protocols to ensure performance and quality
8. seek appropriate advice and guidance if an unexpected situation or any variances or non-conformance occurs and ensure it is fully documented in the appropriate manner, in accordance with local policy and protocol
9. obtain the results and compare against expected performance parameters
10. seek guidance and apply the referral structures for results outside expected parameters
11. inform the relevant requester of the results obtained
12. complete all relevant records accurately in a timely fashion, in accordance with approved protocols
13. maintain all point of care documentation in the correct location for future reference and traceability in line with current legislation, guidelines, local practice and policies

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: HWB6 Assessment and treatment planning This standard has replaced HCS_SS4.