Costs of QuantiFERON® -TB Gold versus tuberculin skin test in Spanish healthcare workers

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 75; no. 1; pp. 52 - 55
• Main Authors: Linertová, R, Álvarez-León, E.E, García-Pérez, L, Serrano-Aguilar, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Bacterial diseases; Bacteriological Techniques - economics; Bacteriological Techniques - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Cost analysis; Health Care Costs; Health Personnel; Healthcare workers; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Immunoassay - economics; Immunoassay - methods; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Latent tuberculosis; Latent Tuberculosis - diagnosis; Male; Mass Screening - economics; Mass Screening - methods; Medical sciences; Mycobacterium; QuantiFERON; Skin Tests - economics; Spain; Tuberculin Test - economics; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Spain; Latent tuberculosis; Healthcare workers; QuantiFERON; Cost analysis; Costs; Health care staff; Exploration; Tuberculin; Infection; Health economy; Comparative study; Public health; Skin test
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2009.11.023

Summary We compared the cost of the tuberculin skin test (TST) with the QuantiFERON® -TB Gold (QFT-G) test when screening for latent tuberculosis in 134 healthcare workers in Spain. The QFT-G test cost €42.5 per healthcare worker, while the TST cost €39.5. The tests varied in cost structure; most (70%) TST costs were due to time demands on the participants, whereas the QFT-G was more expensive in terms of consumables (50% of the total cost). Accordingly, the results depend on the hourly wages of the participants and the time they must dedicate to the tests. In the Spanish healthcare system, the societal costs of QFT-G are comparable to those of the TST, although their cost structures are quite distinct.