We are observing an impressive progress in medical diagnostics and therapeutic systems in the last decades, due to the advancements in many fields of biology and medicine, e.g., genetics, oncology, epidemiology, immunology, concurrently to remarkable technological improvements, which are allowing to pursue novel methods and studies not accessible until now.

However, the main reasons of several deadly diseases are still related to the lack of prompt diagnoses, which could be prevented with early detection and continuous screenings, as for example with diabetes and cancer. Another reason is related to the inaccessibility of medical instrumentation, equipment, and personnel, particularly in developing countries, where the delivering of existing medical care is challenging.   

Point-of-Care (POC) systems are emerging as a powerful solution to these issues. POC devices allow to implement the assay of bodily fluids samples, including the test, analysis, and the medical diagnosis, with the whole procedure usually happening in portable instruments without requiring doctors or nurses. Furthermore, novel wearable systems are also currently used to manage and control the release of therapeutic agents and drugs, representing an enormous support, for example, for patients with chronic diseases or elderly people avoiding irregular drug administration.      

The goal of this Methods Collection is to share novel and emerging methods and protocols used to develop Point-of-Care instruments currently used by patients at home or by medical personnel in clinics and hospitals to facilitate their daily activities, and by scientists to develop the next-generation of medical instruments with even a closer interaction between technology and medicine. We encourage, for example, the submission of new strategies and methods to implement current laboratory techniques, e.g., PCR and ELISA, in portable instruments, or biomarkers detection and screening in Lab-on-Chip and wearable devices.