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Hemoglobin (Hb) measurement is a fundamental biological test, especially in emergency situations where rapid medical decisions are required. Portable hemoglobinometers, such as HemoCue®, provide a delocalized solution for capillary whole blood. The SFBC's POCT News and Issues working group designed and conducted two national surveys to assess the use and management of these devices, both on the clinical and biological side, with 306 and 160 responses respectively. The surveys revealed little effective or desired network connection, heterogeneity in management and training, and only 7% of sites fully accredited, although a quality approach is being structured in 45% of cases. Nearly 80% of biologists suggest reclassification as a rapid diagnostic test, citing difficult standards management and inadequate human resources. However, its daily use goes beyond the simple diagnostic orientation of anemia; blood transfusion decisions without laboratory verification are made by 53% of physicians, while 18% of users are unaware of minimum maintenance procedures, underscoring the need for a rigorous quality approach. The SFBC working group proposes a list of tips to help medical biologists implement this approach, a guarantee of reliable results, in the context of medical decision-making. The selected points are fleet mapping, relations with biomedical and clinical departments, quality documents and minimum method verification, user management, QC management and traceability of results.

During the first wave of Covid-19 in France, in spring 2020, healthcare institution's laboratory had to adapt itself quickly to the growing demand for emergency biology, in particular by reorganizing their POCT analyzers: redeployment of analyzers and/or new installations. In order to analyze this management, a subgroup of 15 hospital biologists from the SFBC Working Group "Biochemical markers of Covid-19" sent, in fall 2020, an on-line survey to French hospital laboratories using POCT. Answers analysis (n = 86) shows a territorial disparity related to the severity of the first wave: increased activity essentially in red zones, management of unexpected situations, training of additional nursing staff for 40 % of the laboratories... The survey also showed simplification of aspects related to accreditation those periods of health crisis. An additional survey, carried out in the spring of 2021, showed good overall satisfaction of the healthcare services (n = 139) concerning the services provided by biology in the POCT sector. Because of their great adaptation capacity, the laboratories and their POCT-teams have played a key role in the management of the first wave of Covid-19 in France. However, the success of these organizations requires an essential collaboration between laboratories and healthcare services. The results of this survey are fundamental in the context of the prolongation of the pandemia throughout the world with a POCT sector appearing to be growing.