Novel analysis of clinically relevant diagnostic errors in point-of-care devices.
Shermock KM, Streiff MB, Pinto BL, et al. Novel analysis of clinically relevant diagnostic errors in point-of-care devices. J Thromb Haemost. 2011;9(9):1769-1775. doi:10.1111/j.1538-7836.2011.04439.x.
In this study, investigators compared international normalized ratio measurements (INR, a measurement of blood clotting ability) obtained simultaneously on a point-of-care analyzer and a standard blood draw. Although the concordance between the two measurements met traditional quality assurance standards, the point-of-care analyzer results were systematically biased toward normal measurements, putting patients at risk of preventable adverse events due to failure to adjust anticoagulant medications appropriately.