Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics that meet the REASSURED criteria are essential in combating the rapid increase and severity of global health emergencies caused by infectious diseases. However, little is known about whether the REASSURED criteria are implemented in regions known to have a high burden of infectious diseases such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This scoping review maps evidence of the use of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests in SSA. The scoping review was guided by the advanced methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley, and Levac et al. We searched the following electronic databases for relevant literature: Scopus, Dimensions, ProQuest Central, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost (MEDLINE, CINAHL, as well as AFRICA-WIDE). Two reviewers independently screened abstracts and full-text articles using the inclusion criteria as reference. We appraised the quality of the included studies using the mixed-method appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018. We retrieved 138 publications, comprising 134 articles and four grey literature articles. Of these, only five articles were included following abstract and full-text screening. The five included studies were all conducted in SSA. The following themes emerged from the eligible articles: quality assurance on accuracy of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests, sustainability of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests, and local infrastructure capability for delivering REASSURED POC diagnostic tests to end users. All five articles had MMAT scores between 90% and 100%. In conclusion, our scoping review revealed limited published research on REASSURED diagnostics at POC in SSA. We recommend primary studies aimed at investigating the implementation of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests in SSA.

Mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostics forms an integral part of diagnostic health services for efficient communication between patients and healthcare professionals despite geographical location and time of diagnosis. The efficiency of this technology lies in the user experience which means that the interaction of the user with the implemented technology needs to be simple, convenient, and consistent. Having a well-structured user experience of these devices in community-based healthcare will aid in sustainable implementation. Herein, we propose to conduct a literature search to systematically map out evidence based on mobile-linked POC diagnostics user experience at a community level in resource-limited settings. The proposed scoping review will be guided by the advanced Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework and further advanced by Levac et al. A comprehensive search will be conducted to find relevant published literature from the following electronic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost (Medline, CINAHL, Africa-wide, Academic Search Complete). Grey literature will also be searched, including reports from government and international organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO), Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Two independent reviewers will screen the relevant studies and the degree of the agreement will be determined by calculating Cohen’s kappa statistic. The quality of eligible data will also be appraised using the mixed method appraisal tool version 2018. We anticipate that the planned scoping review will present useful evidence to inform stakeholders on the integration of mobile-linked diagnostic devices in community-based healthcare which will guide further research on the subject.

While mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostics may circumvent geographical and temporal barriers to efficient communication, the use of such technology in community settings will depend on user experience. We conducted a scoping review to systematically map evidence on user experiences of mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostics in community healthcare settings published from the year 2016 up to the year 2022. We conducted a comprehensive search of the following electronic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost (Medline, CINAHL, Africa-wide, Academic Search Complete). The inter-reviewer agreement was determined using Cohen’s kappa statistic. Data quality was appraised using the mixed method appraisal tool version 2018, and the results were reported according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Following the abstract and full article screening, nine articles were found eligible for inclusion in data extraction. Following the quality appraisal, one study scored 72.5%, one study scored 95%, and the remaining seven studies scored 100%. Inter-rater agreement was 83.54% (Kappa statistic = 0.51, p < 0.05). Three themes emerged from the articles: approaches to implementing mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostics, user engagement in community-based healthcare settings, and limited user experiences in mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostics. User experiences are key to the sustainable implementation of mobile-linked point-of-care diagnostics. User experiences have been evaluated in small community healthcare settings. There is limited evidence of research aimed at evaluating the usability of mobile-linked diagnostics at the community level. More studies are needed to assess the user experience of mobile-linked diagnostics in larger communities. This scoping review revealed gaps that need to be addressed to improve user experiences of mobile-linked diagnostics, including language barriers, privacy issues, and clear instructions.

Point-of-care (POC) diagnostics that meet the REASSURED criteria are essential in combating the rapid increase and severity of global health emergencies caused by infectious diseases. However, little is known about whether the REASSURED criteria are implemented in regions known to have a high burden of infectious diseases such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This scoping review maps evidence of the use of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests in SSA. The scoping review was guided by the advanced methodological framework of Arksey and O’Malley, and Levac et al. We searched the following electronic databases for relevant literature: Scopus, Dimensions, ProQuest Central, Google Scholar, and EBSCOhost (MEDLINE, CINAHL, as well as AFRICA-WIDE). Two reviewers independently screened abstracts and full-text articles using the inclusion criteria as reference. We appraised the quality of the included studies using the mixed-method appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018. We retrieved 138 publications, comprising 134 articles and four grey literature articles. Of these, only five articles were included following abstract and full-text screening. The five included studies were all conducted in SSA. The following themes emerged from the eligible articles: quality assurance on accuracy of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests, sustainability of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests, and local infrastructure capability for delivering REASSURED POC diagnostic tests to end users. All five articles had MMAT scores between 90% and 100%. In conclusion, our scoping review revealed limited published research on REASSURED diagnostics at POC in SSA. We recommend primary studies aimed at investigating the implementation of REASSURED POC diagnostic tests in SSA.