Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27724908›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2016

Cost-effectiveness analysis of microscopic observation drug susceptibility test versus Xpert MTB/Rif test for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV patients in Uganda.

Simon Walusimbi, Brendan Kwesiga, Rashmi Rodrigues, Melles Haile, Ayesha de Costa, Lennart Bogg, Achilles Katamba

Open access · goldAbstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact, top 90% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Simon WalusimbiDepartment of Microbiology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
Brendan KwesigaHealthNet Consult, Kampala, Uganda.
Rashmi RodriguesDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
Melles HaileDepartment of Microbiology, Public Health Agency of Sweden, Solna, Sweden.
Ayesha de CostaDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
Lennart BoggDepartment of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
Achilles KatambaDepartment of Medicine, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. akatamba@chs.mak.ac.ug.
Karolinska Institutet · SEMakerere University · UGMälardalen University · SEPublic Health Agency of Sweden · SE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMicroscopic Observation Drug Susceptibility (MODS) and Xpert MTB/Rif (Xpert) are highly sensitive tests for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study evaluated the cost effectiveness of utilizing MODS versus Xpert for diagnosis of active pulmonary TB in HIV infected patients in Uganda.

methodsA decision analysis model comparing MODS versus Xpert for TB diagnosis was used. Costs were estimated by measuring and valuing relevant resources required to perform the MODS and Xpert tests. Diagnostic accuracy data of the tests were obtained from systematic reviews involving HIV infected patients. We calculated base values for unit costs and varied several assumptions to obtain the range estimates. Cost effectiveness was expressed as costs per TB patient diagnosed for each of the two diagnostic strategies. Base case analysis was performed using the base estimates for unit cost and diagnostic accuracy of the tests. Sensitivity analysis was performed using a range of value estimates for resources, prevalence, number of tests and diagnostic accuracy.

resultsThe unit cost of MODS was US$ 6.53 versus US$ 12.41 of Xpert. Consumables accounted for 59 % (US$ 3.84 of 6.53) of the unit cost for MODS and 84 % (US$10.37 of 12.41) of the unit cost for Xpert. The cost effectiveness ratio of the algorithm using MODS was US$ 34 per TB patient diagnosed compared to US$ 71 of the algorithm using Xpert. The algorithm using MODS was more cost-effective compared to the algorithm using Xpert for a wide range of different values of accuracy, cost and TB prevalence. The cost (threshold value), where the algorithm using Xpert was optimal over the algorithm using MODS was US$ 5.92.

conclusionsMODS versus Xpert was more cost-effective for the diagnosis of PTB among HIV patients in our setting. Efforts to scale-up MODS therefore need to be explored. However, since other non-economic factors may still favour the use of Xpert, the current cost of the Xpert cartridge still needs to be reduced further by more than half, in order to make it economically competitive with MODS.

Indexed as

AIDS-Related Opportunistic InfectionsAlgorithmsBacteriological TechniquesCost-Benefit AnalysisDecision Support TechniquesDisease SusceptibilityDNA, BacterialHIV InfectionsHumansIsoniazidMicrobial Sensitivity TestsMicroscopyModels, TheoreticalMycobacterium tuberculosisPrevalenceReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionDNA, BacterialIsoniazidRifampinCost-effectivenessDiagnosisHIVMODSTuberculosisXpert MTB/Rif

Identifiers

PMID27724908
PMCPMC5057383
OpenAlexW2531157913

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.