Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading worldwide cause of death and are on the rise. Various healthcare workers have access to distinct population groups; including allied healthcare providers in risk-based early identification of certain non-communicable diseases (NCDs) may be advantageous, particularly for those who have not had NCD testing in the preceding 12 months. The goals of this research were to find out whether it is possible to discover NCD cases in dentistry and community pharmacy settings by looking at how acceptable it is to patients, what challenges there are to recruitment, and how it would affect the current service. Find out how long it takes to test for type 2 diabetes risk (T2DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), high blood pressure, low vitamin D levels, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Assess if point-of-care testing (POCT) provides additional advantages in identifying diabetes risk compared to a validated screening questionnaire alone. An exploratory research was conducted to investigate challenges related to NCD evaluation in a dental office and a community pharmacy in the West Midlands, UK. Each location recruited 50 patients over 40 years old. Participants completed a questionnaire that collected demographic information, any prior non-communicable disease diagnosis, or a positive family history. Validated questionnaires for assessing NCD risk [T2DM/COPD]. Finger-prick samples of capillary blood for HbA1C, creatinine/eGFR, and vitamin D.

Previous research assessed the concordance between point-of-care testing (POCT) devices and a central laboratory method, as well as the participants' perceptions of discomfort associated with venous (antecubital fossa) and capillary (finger-prick) blood collection, utilizing a 10 cm Visual-Analogue Scale. The POCT devices showed high agreement with laboratory tests and were good ways for participants to collect blood.

It took 8 days to recruit 50 participants, and 60% of those who were asked to participate chose to do so. The main reason people didn't take part was time; the average time it took to test was 19 minutes. Using dentistry and pharmaceutical settings found possible instances of diseases that had not been detected before.