Now we use the pneumatic tube to transport the sample to the laboratory where the test can be performed rapidly and with consistent quality. So it's small potatoes. Mass General is about to evaluate POC blood gas testing in the neonatal and adult respiratory ICUs. In these cases, POCT is being used to solve specific medical problems. The ability of hospitals to perform accurate cost accounting is rather limited, and usually is based on simplistic cost models.
Unit costs at the point of care are also falling, so measuring costs is a moving target.