Global Shortage of Healthcare Workers
The global shortage of healthcare workers has provided an improved environment for POC testing. Shorter diagnosing time means healthcare workers can diagnose and begin treatment immediately, reducing the possibility of a worsened condition that requires more time to treat. It also means that physicians and other health providers can diagnose and treat a patient in one visit rather than multiple visits, thereby avoiding complicating facility-scheduling practices.
Worldwide, there will be a shortage of 12.9 million health workers by 2035, compared with the 2017 figure of 7.2 million, as reported by the WHO. The majority of these workers are active in developed regions, while underdeveloped countries face a severe shortage of health workers. Although the situation in developed countries is not without its share of shortages, the crisis is much more severe in other regions. Providing these countries with alternatives in testing, POC and rapid testing can minimize the impact of health worker shortages. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, the management of a region’s HIV patients is overwhelming. Alternatives in HIV testing can be significantly beneficial in helping this population improve health in a country devastated by the disease.
