title: A cost benefit analysis of the Luminex xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel for detection of infectious gastroenteritis in hospitalised patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent advances in the laboratory detection of infectious diarrhoea allow more rapid and sensitive identification of infected patients. Several commercial multiplex molecular panels are now available and may have significant advantages over culture based techniques. Faster and more sensitive testing of hospitalised patients with suspected infectious gastroenteritis could result in significant efficiencies in the utilisation of isolation facilities, however few studies have examined this potential benefit. We studied the potential clinical and cost benefits of a commercially available molecular panel.
  
  
  METHODS
  An eight-month parallel diagnostic study was conducted to measure potential economic benefits of testing hospitalised patients with the Luminex xTAG Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) compared with conventional laboratory testing (based on a combination of culture, microscopy and enzyme immunoassay). Laboratory testing costs and patient isolation costs were measured or estimated for 800 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although costing an additional £22,283, use of GPP could enable a reduction in isolation time from 2202 to 1447 days, a saving of £66,765, which more than offsets the additional laboratory testing costs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Syndromic testing of patients against a broad panel of organisms using a multiplex molecular panel can both improve detection rates and allow better laboratory workflow practices. Removing patients testing negative using this panel could result in significant patient isolation savings.
authors.affiliation: King's College, London and Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, UK. Electronic address: Simon.goldenberg@gstt.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.affiliation: Optimity Matrix, London, UK.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bacelar
authors.affiliation: Optimity Matrix, London, UK.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brazier
authors.affiliation: King's College, London and Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bisnauthsing
authors.affiliation: King's College, London and Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Edgeworth
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000191:economics*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology
keywords: Acute diarrhoea illness; Cost effectiveness; Gastroenteritis; Gastrointestinal bacteria; Gastrointestinal viruses; Infection control; Isolation days; Molecular diagnostics; xTAG GPP