Molecular Diagnostics and the Changing Face of Point-of-Care

In vitro diagnostics (IVDs) are undergoing an evolution that is being driven by nucleic acid–based molecular detection technologies, from fully automated, multistep miniaturized platforms that integrate sample prep, detection, and signal amplification into single-step cassettes processed on handheld or portable instrumentation (1, 2), to novel real-time detection chemistries that are platform-agnostic and allow high target multiplexing (3). With simplified laboratory requirements, portable equipment and wireless links to remote health care services, these sophisticated technology platforms have the potential to revolutionize patient testing, putting actionable information rapidly into the hands of the treating clinician during the patient encounter, regardless of where the interaction occurs.