Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Point-of-care testing (POCT) has the potential to improve early detection and management of cardiometabolic diseases in primary care; however, adoption remains inconsistent across many health systems. This study assessed reimbursement mechanisms, financing pathways, evidence requirements, and implementation barriers influencing POCT integration in Malaysia and Thailand, to identify sustainable policy approaches for broader adoption.
METHODS: A scoping review of national policies, reimbursement frameworks, HTA requirements, clinical guidelines, and funding mechanisms was conducted for Malaysia and Thailand. Emerging findings were supplemented and validated through consultations with key experts in both countries, including policymakers, payers, clinicians, procurement experts, healthcare administrators, and key opinion leaders. Findings were synthesized to identify common barriers, access enablers, evidence requirements, and financing opportunities for POCT implementation in primary care settings.
RESULTS: Both countries demonstrated strong policy commitments toward non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention and universal health coverage, creating a favourable environment for POCT adoption. Although HbA1c and lipid testing are generally covered within public healthcare systems in both countries, reimbursement and funding pathways for POCT deployment in primary care, particularly for advanced cardiometabolic diagnostics and expanded lipid testing, remain limited and inconsistently implemented. Stakeholders identified budget constraints, insufficient local economic evidence, procurement challenges, and uncertainty regarding long-term value as key barriers to scale-up. Community screening initiatives and decentralized primary care networks were identified as implementation platforms. Stakeholders emphasized the need for local clinical and economic evidence, including budget impact analyses, to support reimbursement. Potential financing approaches included public-private partnerships, outcome-based agreements, and diagnostic-as-a-service models.
CONCLUSIONS: While supportive policy environments exist in Malaysia and Thailand, financing and reimbursement limitations continue to constrain broader POCT adoption. Strengthening local evidence generation and exploring innovative financing mechanisms may accelerate integration of POCT into primary care and support sustainable management of cardiometabolic diseases within universal health coverage systems.