Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35527355›Full record

ArticleThe International journal of health planning and management2022

A data driven policy to minimise the tuberculosis testing cost among healthcare workers.

Vishnunarayan Girishan Prabhu, Kevin M Taaffe, Ronald G Pirrallo, Dotan Shvorin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The International journal of health planning and management, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. A data driven policy to minimise the tuberculosis testing cost among healthcare workers.The International journal of health planning and management · 2022
    Article
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

4 authors.

Vishnunarayan Girishan PrabhuDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5410-9894
Kevin M TaaffeDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.
Ronald G PirralloDepartment of Emergency Medicine, PRISMA Health -Upstate, Greenville, South Carolina, USA.
Dotan ShvorinDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mandates that healthcare employees at high-risk exposure to Tuberculosis (TB) undergo annual testing. Currently, two methods of TB testing are used: a two-step skin test (TST) or a whole-blood test (IGRA). Healthcare leadership's test selection must account for not only direct costs such as procedure and resources but also indirect costs, including employee workplace absence.

methodsA mathematical model based on Upstate South Carolina's largest health system affecting over 18,000 employees on six campuses was developed to investigate the value loss perspective of these testing methods and assist in decision-making. A process flow map identified the varied direct and indirect costs for each test for four employee types, and 6 travel-to-testing-site times were calculated.

resultsThe switching point between testing procedures that minimised total system costs was most influenced by employee salary compared to travel distance. Switching from the current hospital policy to an integrated TST/IGRA testing could reduce TB compliance costs by 28%.

conclusionsThis study recommends an integrated approach as cost-effective for large health systems with multiple campuses while considering the direct and indirect costs. When accounting for 'inconvenience costs' (stress, etc.) associated with visits, IGRAs are recommended irrespective of employee salary.

Indexed as

Tuberculin TestTuberculosisCost-Benefit AnalysisHealth PersonnelHumansPolicycost analysisdecision-makinghealthcare policymathematical modellingtuberculosis testing

Identifiers

PMID35527355
PMCPMC9541762

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.