Integrated Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) Systems: Recent Progress and Applications
A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Devices".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biomarkers’ detection; drug misuse; alcohol biomarkers; carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT); drug-driving legislation; nitrous oxide detection; anti-doping; growth hormone biomarkers; dried blood spots; anabolic steroids detection
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Recent advancements in integrated point-of-care testing (POCT) systems have revolutionized medical diagnostics by enabling rapid, decentralized testing at or near the patient’s location. Innovations such as nano-diagnostics, molecular technologies, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven data analytics have enhanced the accuracy, portability, and clinical utility of POCT devices. These systems now support multi-biomarker panels, real-time connectivity to electronic health records (EHRs), and automated decision-making, facilitating immediate clinical interventions in critical conditions like sepsis, myocardial infarction, and infectious diseases (e.g., COVID-19). Regulatory updates, such as the 2025 CLIA guidelines, further standardize proficiency testing and personnel qualifications to ensure reliability. POCT’s integration into clinical workflows reduces turnaround times, minimizes manual errors, and improves patient outcomes, particularly in resource-limited settings. Future trends include the expansion of machine learning for personalized diagnostics and the development of cost-effective, user-friendly devices for global healthcare accessibility.
Prof. Dr. Kim Wolff
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- point-of-care testing (POCT)
- integrated diagnostic systems
- nano-diagnostics
- artificial intelligence (AI)
- clinical decision support
- multi-biomarker panels
- electronic health records (EHRs) connectivity
- infectious disease diagnostics
- decentralized healthcare
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
