Dried blood spot testing: an alternative to point-of-care testing in public venues?

In considering targeting of HIV testing, National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance pinpoints men who have sex with men and Black minority ethnic (BME) communities.1–3 In particular, it has been recommended that testing be taken out to these communities to help overcome barriers to testing. Venepuncture is difficult in community settings, and point-of-care testing (POCT) is seen as a more viable alternative, but both require skill either in the procedure or delivering a result. Dried blood spot (DBS) sampling offers an alternative method to venepuncture and POCT and has …