**7. Professional advice dilemma in POCD**

A dilemma can arise if the introduction of a diagnostic application takes place via the patient. Increasingly, technology is presented to the physician by the patient or his close relative: "*Doctor, I found this device on the Internet, is something like this suitable for me?* "Diagnostic applications generally do not require a prescription and are widely available over the counter.

A nurse specialist who is well aware of recent technological diagnostic developments may be able to offer appropriate advice. But, unfortunately, there is no such thing as a repertory for the use of diagnostic technology, and a search for information will have to take place before really good advice can be given. [The database IEEE (ieee.org) does offer possibilities for quickly finding knowledge about diagnostic eHealth applications.]

### **7.1 Counseling dilemma**

There could be a dilemma in providing information without the intervention of a healthcare professional, such as a physician or nurse specialist, if the diagnosis reveals a life-threatening, serious condition, for example. The traditional conversation, in which guidance with emotional information that has a major impact on life is central, may disappear in case of unguided, digital information gathering. Attention must be paid to this ethical dilemma. Being able to set up personal information filters could be a solution here. This does not alter the fact that professional, humane, compassionate guidance must always be available in case it is desired. The risk of POCD interfering with timely professional counseling and guidance should be avoided at all costs. In-depth qualitative and quantitative research to look specifically at these ethical aspects and to develop targeted interventions for this is, therefore, desirable. POCD should certainly also be followed from a philosophical point of view in this context.

### **7.2 The patient's appreciation of POCD**

A lot will change in the service provision within healthcare in the coming years. A complete takeover by the healthcare avatar is not yet on the agenda, but it seems inevitable that it will acquire a place.

There are still some questions, concerns, and problems about "machine automated diagnostics" at the moment, such as legal issues, privacy issues, and ethical considerations (Is the provision of care still sufficiently "human," "patient-oriented," and "oriented to the entire social system"?)

The value that patients themselves attach to diagnostic possibilities (including Internet services) will determine its success. Insurers will be happy to join in on this.

Whether, for example, the nurse specialist and the general practitioner will eventually survive the technological revolution will depend, among other things, on whether they are also prepared to adopt POCD, QS techniques, and advanced Internet services, as digital services in many ways are expected to become an increasingly important part of healthcare procurement.

The promises are great. Before long, we will have arrived at automatic self-regulation, in which technical systems monitor, diagnose, and treat (semi) autonomously via noninvasive applications that are simply worn on the ankle.

Research, in that future juncture, will have to show whether it has ultimately contributed to the quality of life of many and aspects of healthy aging in general.

### **8. Conclusion**

Point-of-care diagnostics will in all probability take off in a big way over the next 20–50 years. This will give many citizens the opportunity to monitor their own health accurately. In addition, it will increasingly provide automated information that helps prevent health risks. Increasing the compatibility of POCD applications with welldesigned digital information systems over the chain of care, whereby the ease of use will be further amplified, shall be a necessary simultaneous development.

The further development of POCD will offer many possibilities for gathering knowledge by using new quantitative and qualitative research designs. Research, both on a phenomenological basis and on positivistic rounds in large samples, will support further professional development as well as enable citizens to make their own, wellinformed choices. However, all these developments should never stand in the way of interpersonal, humane, and compassionate face-to-face care when it is really needed.

### **Author details**

Wolter Paans1,2

1 Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, The Netherlands

2 Department of Critical Care, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

\*Address all correspondence to: w.paans@pl.hanze.nl

© 2023 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

*Modern Times in Point of Care Diagnostics DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109705*
