SHA expanding point-of-care testing program to Assiniboia, Esterhazy, Kipling, Rosthern

The Saskatchewan Health Authority is expanding its point-of-care testing program to four new communities.

The program, which the health authority said is designed to help improve service at ERs in rural areas, sees health-care staff members perform rapid, on-site diagnostics when urgent tests are ordered, “so rural emergency departments can continue delivering timely patient care when lab professionals are unavailable.”

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Tests performed under the point-of-care program can include hemoglobin tests to evaluate anemia and blood loss, white blood cell counts which can determine whether an infection is present, urinalysis to assess kidney function and detect infections and tests for cardiac markers to evaluate heart health.

The health authority previously rolled out the program in Herbert, Shellbrook and Watrous, and said it plans to expand the program to include Assiniboia, Esterhazy, Kipling and Rosthern “over the coming weeks.”

The program will be up and running in Kipling at the start of December, the health authority said, while the other communities will be notified when the program begins in their area.

“Emergency departments in Leader, Maple Creek, Wynyard, Kamsack and Shaunavon continue to actively use point-of-care testing when needed, ensuring residents in those communities benefit from seamless access to local emergency health services,” the health authority said in a statement.

The health authority said the program has prevented 214 potential service disruptions at rural ERs since it was first rolled out in 2023.

“Point-of-care testing acts as an interim solution to support local health-care teams and physicians in making clinical decisions in emergency situations, ensuring that patients benefit from timely access to critical testing and prompt treatment as close to home as possible,” said Bryan Witt, the health authority’s vice president of provincial clinical and support services.

“We are grateful to our local health-care teams who are working hard to minimize service disruptions and ensure emergency department services remain available to Saskatchewan residents.”