Point-of-Care Testing (POCT) for Cancer and Chronic Disease Management in the Workplace: Opportunities and Challenges in the Era of Digital Health Passports

The rising global burden of chronic diseases and cancer in the workplace has intensified the need for accessible, rapid diagnostic strategies within workplace settings. Point-of-care testing (POCT) offers a decentralized solution, providing timely diagnostic insights without the need for centralized laboratory facilities. In the workplace, POCT offers significant advantages for early detection and management of cancer and chronic diseases, improving employee health outcomes and reducing absenteeism. Concurrently, the development of digital health passports has created secure, dynamic platforms for managing and sharing personal health data. This review explores the technological innovations underpinning POCT, examines its application in workplace health screening, and analyzes how integration with the Internet of Things (IoT) and digital health passports can enhance early detection and chronic disease management. The discussion extends to the ethical, regulatory and practical challenges associated with implementation. Furthermore, emerging trends such as artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, blockchain-enabled data security and wearable biosensors are considered as potential future directions. Together, POCT and digital health passports represent a significant evolution towards proactive, personalized workplace healthcare systems.