• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

Cost implications for the NHS of using the Alere? i Influenza A & B near patient test with nasal swabs

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Diagn Progn Res. 2018 Aug 1;2:15. doi: 10.1186/s41512-018-0031-8. eCollection 2018.
[h=1]Cost implications for the NHS of using the Alere? i Influenza A & B near patient test with nasal swabs.[/h] Allen AJ[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], O'Leary RA[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], Davis S[SUP]4[/SUP], Graziadio S[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP], Jones WS[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Simpson AJ[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]2[/SUP], Price DA[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]5[/SUP], Vale L[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]6[/SUP], Power M[SUP]1,[/SUP][SUP]3[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]

[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]Background:[/h] Influenza is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract. A rapid confirmatory diagnosis of influenza is important, since it is highly transmissible and outbreaks of influenza within the hospital setting increase morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cost implications, from the perspective of the UK NHS, of using on-label nasal swabs with the Alere? i Influenza A & B test in a near patient setting.
[h=4]Methods:[/h] A cost consequence model was developed. The time horizon of the model was from hospital admission on suspicion of influenza until the end of treatment (following a diagnosis of influenza or discharge from hospital). Data on the prevalence of influenza and the sensitivity and specificity of the Alere? i Influenza A & B test came from two prospective observational diagnostic accuracy studies. Costs were obtained from published resources. Uncertainties in the model data were investigated using deterministic, one-way sensitivity analyses.
[h=4]Results:[/h] Using the Alere? i Influenza A & B point of care test with nasal swabs (on label) in NHS medical assessment units and emergency departments could save approximately ?242,730 per 1000 adults presenting with influenza-like symptoms. The main cause for this was reduced times to availability of the result compared with the laboratory RT-PCR test. Other key drivers of savings were the cost of isolation, the prevalence of influenza, the specificity of the test, and the availability of isolation resources.
[h=4]Conclusions:[/h] The Alere? i Influenza A & B point of care test would have greatest impact in hospitals that have extensive delays in the time to receive a result. Sensitivity analyses identified the model parameters which would have greatest effect on the result and confirmed that assumptions were conservative, i.e. did not change key results.


[h=4]KEYWORDS:[/h] Alere? i Influenza A & B test; Cost analysis; Cost consequences; Cost minimisation; Flu; Infection control; Influenza; Near-patient testing; Point-of-care testing

PMID: 31093564 PMCID: PMC6460782 DOI: 10.1186/s41512-018-0031-8
Free PMC Article
 
Back
Top Bottom