Can point-of-care testing shorten hospitalization length of stay? An exploratory investigation of infectious agents using regression modellingCan point-of-care testing shorten hospitalization length of stay? An exploratory investigation of infectious agents using regression modelling Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication Δημοσίευση σε Περιοδικό με Κριτές 2020-04-022019enThis retrospective study investigates the potential benefits from the introduction of point-of-care tests for rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases. We analysed a sample of 441 hospitalized patients who had received a final diagnosis related to 18 pathogenic agents. These pathogens were mostly detected by standard tests but were also detectable by point-of-care testing. The length of hospital stay was partitioned into pre- and post-laboratory diagnosis stages. Regression analysis and elementary queueing theory were applied to estimate the impact of quick diagnosis on the mean length of stay and the utilization of healthcare resources. The analysis suggests that eliminating the pre-diagnosis times through point-of-care testing could shorten the mean length of hospital stay for infectious diseases by up to 34 per cent and result in an equal reduction in bed occupancy and other resources. Regression and other more sophisticated models can aid the financing decision-making of pilot point-of-care laboratories in healthcare systems.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Health Informatics Journal2541606-1617 Gkika Eliona Psaroulaki Anna Tselentis Yiannis J. Angelakis, Emmanouil 1971- Kouikoglou Vasilis Κουϊκογλου Βασιλης SAGE Publications Early detection of disease Hospital length of stay Infectious diseases Point-of-care testing Regression modelling