The goal of the Center for Developing and Testing of Point of Care Tests (POCT) for STDs"""""""" is to support the development of these tests and work with other Centers to pilot this technology and assure that it is made available to clinicians and other end users. This goal is compatible with the stated goal of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and positions the Center to further the agency's mandate. To support the Center's goal, the goal of Core 4 is to successfully educate bench scientists regarding the test requisites identifed by clinicians and home users. These educational programs will illustrate the realities of the settings in which these tests will be performed and illustrate the essential role the tests will play in addressing public health priorities.
The specific aims for this Gore include: conducting training programs for laboratory scientists using the Internet; ensuring content that illustrates the need for these assays; and offering brief clerkships to the scientists in settings where the POCTs,will be performed. Our training will reinforce the philosophy that affordable, sensitive, specific, user friendly, rapid, robust, equipment-free, deliverable non-invasive assays are essential to support clinical care and disease prevention. By increasing the awareness that 1)these tests offer both providers and home users the opportunity to perform tests and get immediate results; 2)rapid test results in clinical practice will assure early effective treatment and disease intervention; 3)home tests with immediate results may empower private individuals to learn their status and seek early treatment and counseling; and 4)early treatment and counseling are imperative in intervening on disease progression and transmission, the training will advance the knowledge of public health functions and principles and demonstrate the importance of partnership with scientists at the bench to the health of the community. Core 4 supports the Center's strong public health focus and actively demonstrates the public health functions of assessment, assurance and communication.
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