Aligning diagnostics to the point-of-care: lessons for innovators, evaluators and decision-makers from tuberculosis and HIV

Please find our new paper on lessons learned from a research study on how POC diagnostics for TB and HIV are being developed and made to work at point of care.

https://gh.bmj.com/content/5/11/e003457

there are take away lessons per development phase and a list of suggestions on how alignment to the point of care could be strengthened.

From the summary statements:

  • This paper breaks new ground in that it offers a juxtaposition of different viewpoints of how diagnostics are made and implemented spanning both upstream and downstream innovation processes.
  • Fitting diagnostics to the point-of-care requires addressing variable, shifting and hard to access end-users and involves alignment work by developers and implementers across different settings that extend beyond the setting of intended use.
  • The development process required for these devices is iterative, which is in conflict with the traditional evaluation procedures in global health.

What do the new findings imply?

  • Creating more and new forms of funding for continuous needs assessment as well as welcoming spaces to safely engage with a variety of user needs and build relationships.
  • It is essential to think general infrastructure strengthening and innovation of affordable and available diagnostic technologies together to bridge the disconnect between developers and implementers.
  • Creating more flexibility in evaluation practices to respond to changes in the field and design iterations and to broaden the evidence-base for regulatory decisions to include considerations of access and user perspectives.

Comments and reactions are more than welcome.

with best wishes,
Nora