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J. Occup. Environ. Med. · Jul 2012
Screening health care workers with interferon-γ release assay versus tuberculin skin test: impact on costs and adherence to testing (the SWITCH study).
- Peter Wrighton-Smith, Laurie Sneed, Frances Humphrey, Xuguang Tao, and Edward Bernacki.
- Oxford Immunotec Ltd, Abingdon, United Kingdom.
- J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2012 Jul 1; 54 (7): 806-15.
ObjectiveTo 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.MethodsA 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.ResultsAdministering 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.ConclusionsUsing an IGRA for employee health screening can be an institutional cost saving and results in higher compliance rates.
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