CBDL Technical Director Josely Chiarella:
- Experts revealed Brazil’s experience in using Point of Care to promote timely diagnosis of diseases.
- Furthermore, he stressed the importance of regulating medical devices according to international standards to ensure patient quality.
San Diego, September 2023. Health technology is for people, not them for technology.this is the biggest Joseli Chiarella,technical director Brazilian Chamber of Laboratory Diagnostics (CBDL)who was in our country to participate in the Chilean International Health Conference (EISACH) held during the 2023 Hospital Expo.
Chiarella, a regional reference, said: “Bringing medical technology closer to where people are is a way to facilitate access, especially in countries like Brazil, which have diverse geographies and are spread out between different city points. Far away.” Devices can improve people’s quality of life and contribute to public health policy.
CBDL’s Technical Director is a biochemical pharmacist with a Master’s degree in Immunogenetics from the University of São Paulo and an MBA in Strategic Management and Business Economics. He has more than 25 years of experience in diagnostics and life sciences in Brazil and Latin America. Invited by the Chilean Medical Devices Association (ADIMECH), the expert shared her experience on the role of technology in prevention and timely diagnosis.
Point of Care Advantages
Josely Chiarella highlighted during her visit to Chile point of careas a strategy to promote access to diagnosis among healthy users.
point of care It consists of a diagnostic technology that allows laboratory test results to be performed and provided immediately at the same location where the patient receives healthcare, such as a mobile health unit or even the workplace, without having to wait days or even weeks.
This “on-the-spot” testing allows for early, timely prevention of disease, allowing for better management of waiting lists for specialty care at hospital centers.
In the case of Brazil, innovation is achieved by bringing the point of care into pharmacies, since pharmacies are considered to be the most accessible local centers, given that Brazil’s geography is very diverse and a significant part of its population is far from cities. “Experts point out that the purpose of this is to make health management smarter and provide more opportunities for people.”
“In many places in Brazil, pharmacies are the most accessible places to access health care, with extended opening hours, including on weekends. Therefore, installing points of care there connected to a central health information network makes it easier for people to understand their health status and also generates Very important public health data,” Chiarella explained.
Some of the tests that can be done through the point of care include blood glucose, rapid coagulation assay, rapid cardiac markers, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), dengue, prostate-specific antigen, ovulation hormone profile, cholesterol measurement, HIV, HPV and HCV (hepatitis C virus ).
“Pharmacy point of care is a recent initiative in Brazil that is limited to certain examinations, taking care of the role of traditional laboratories. However, it allows for expanded access to medical technology and fast and timely diagnosis,” he added.
Supervision ensures quality
Chiarella stressed the importance of countries strengthening their regulatory systems for medical devices as the main way to ensure the quality of health technology available to patients. In the case of Brazil, this responsibility lies with the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chile has a huge gap in regulatory issues, as only nine of more than 2 million medical devices are regulated.
“Based on our experience, it is necessary to strengthen regulation to enable people to access safe, effective and high-quality health technologies. But these regulatory practices are necessary to promote the adoption of unified norms and international standards so that medical devices are equitable and do not become innovative barriers,” concluded the CBDL Technical Director.
Founded in 2017, the Chilean Medical Devices Association (ADIMECH) brings together the most innovative companies in the field and is committed to contributing to people’s quality of life through safe, high-quality and innovative products. ADIMECH has three strategic pillars: Innovation and Access, Quality and Safety, Transparency and Ethics to drive the transformation of the sector in Chile.
For more information visit www.adimech.org and linkedin.com/company/adimech
Health Network Portal News Team