Screening health care workers with interferon-γ release assay versus tuberculin skin test: impact on costs and adherence to testing (the SWITCH study).
OBJECTIVE
To determine the price point at which an interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) is less costly than a tuberculin skin test (TST) for health care employee tuberculosis screening.


METHODS
A multidecision tree-based cost model incorporating inputs gathered from time-motion studies and parallel testing by IGRA and TST was conducted in a subset of our employees.


RESULTS
Administering a TST testing program costs $73.20 per person screened, $90.80 per new hire, and $63.42 per annual screen. Use of an IGRA for employee health testing is cost saving at an IGRA test cost of $54.83 or less per test and resulted in higher completion rates because of the elimination of the need for a second visit to interpret the TST.


CONCLUSIONS
Using an IGRA for employee health screening can be an institutional cost saving and results in higher compliance rates.
Oxford Immunotec Ltd, Abingdon, United Kingdom.
Peter
P
Wrighton-Smith
Laurie
L
Sneed
Frances
F
Humphrey
Xuguang
X
Tao
Edward
E
Bernacki
D006282:Health Personnel / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics*