Point-of-Care Testing Helps Keep Rural Emergency Departments Open in Saskatchewan

A Saskatchewan initiative that allows trained healthcare workers to perform essential diagnostic tests when laboratory professionals are temporarily unavailable is helping rural emergency departments remain open.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) has introduced point-of-care testing at Canora Hospital’s emergency department, expanding a program now operating in rural communities across the province.

The technology allows trained members of the local healthcare team to conduct several important diagnostic tests directly at the facility. These include hemoglobin testing to assess anemia and blood loss, white blood cell counts that can help identify infection, urinalysis to assess kidney function and detect urinary tract infections, and cardiac marker testing to evaluate heart health.

The goal is to provide clinicians with diagnostic information when regular laboratory professionals are temporarily unavailable, helping physicians and other healthcare providers make timely decisions about patient care.

The approach is particularly significant for rural hospitals, where the temporary loss of one component of the healthcare team can affect the ability of an emergency department to remain operational.

According to the SHA, point-of-care testing is now supporting emergency department services in 13 other rural Saskatchewan communities in addition to Canora.

The health authority reports that, as of September 15, the program has prevented 860 potential emergency department service disruptions since its introduction in 2023.

Point-of-care testing does not replace regular laboratory services. Rather, it provides an additional option that can help maintain emergency services when laboratory professionals are temporarily unavailable.

The initiative is part of Saskatchewan’s broader strategy to improve access to emergency care in rural and remote communities. Recruitment of laboratory professionals for rural areas is continuing alongside the expansion of point-of-care testing.

Keeping rural emergency departments operating has become an important healthcare challenge across Canada, where smaller communities can be particularly vulnerable to temporary service interruptions caused by staffing shortages.

Saskatchewan’s experience demonstrates how point-of-care diagnostics can provide another tool for rural healthcare teams working to maintain access to emergency services close to home.

Source: Saskatchewan Health Authority

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