Adoption of Point-of-Care Testing in Emergency and Primary Care Settings in Lahore, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Point-of-care testing (POCT) supports rapid clinical decision-making in emergency and primary care, yet adoption of newer biomarker-based tests remains inconsistent and under-described in many low- and middle-income settings (1,12). Objective: To quantify POCT adoption patterns in emergency and primary care units in Lahore, Pakistan, and to assess governance, funding, interoperability, barriers, and predictors of advanced biomarker uptake. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 140 units in Lahore (emergency departments, primary care clinics, urgent care centres) was conducted from January–April 2026 using a structured, pre-piloted questionnaire capturing POCT availability by test type, operational responsibility, governance model, funding mechanism, documentation practices, and perceived barriers. Between-setting comparisons used χ²/Fisher’s exact tests; multivariable logistic regression evaluated predictors of CRP adoption. Results: Adoption of blood glucose, urinalysis, and blood gas testing was 98.6%, 96.4%, and 94.3%, respectively, whereas influenza POCT was 32.9%, CRP 10.7%, and PCT 2.1%. Emergency units had higher blood gas adoption than primary care (97.1% vs 88.5%; p=0.041) and higher influenza POCT use (41.2% vs 23.1%; p=0.049). Only 17.1% reported automatic EHR upload of POCT results, and funding constraints were the most common barrier (46.4%). CRP adoption was associated with primary care setting (aOR 2.21) and permanent funding (aOR 2.74). Conclusion: POCT in Lahore is highly adopted for core tests but limited for advanced biomarkers, with expansion constrained by funding, governance, and interoperability.