ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia2025
Early health technology assessment of tongue swab for non-sputum based pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis in Thailand.
Article in The Lancet regional health. Southeast Asia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- An optimal processing method for recovery of tuberculosis in the tongue swab using theMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Introduction of early health technology assessment for innovators, clinicians, and funders.npj health systems · 2026Review
- Harnessing health economic evaluation for policy and practice.Communications medicine · 2026Review
- Review
- Recommendations for the use of early cost-effectiveness analysis to inform the health technology development process with an application to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.International journal of technology assessment in health care · 2025Article
- Testing tongue swab samples by Cepheid Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra: comparison of two protocols applied to samples from persons with low-bacillary load TB.Microbiology spectrum · 2025Article
- Addressing the challenge of tuberculosis screening in diabetic populations: a narrative review of methods and strategies.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Sputum-based diagnostic methods for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are challenging for patients who cannot produce sputum. Non-sputum-based approaches, such as tongue swab (TS), can address this gap. This study conducts an early Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of TS for PTB diagnosis in Thailand. Methods: We conducted a landscape review, stakeholder consultation, early health economic modeling, and established a Target Product Profile (TPP). The landscape review included a comprehensive literature analysis to identify gaps and unmet needs in PTB diagnosis in Thailand. Stakeholder consultations gathered insights from TB experts to validate the information. An early health economic model evaluated the cost-effectiveness of two innovative strategies: tongue swab with Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) and tongue swab with real-time polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR). The TPP outlines three target levels to guide innovators in designing effective clinical studies. Findings: The landscape review identified the clinical workflow and reimbursement process of all PTB diagnostic tests in Thailand. The gap of tuberculosis management was around diagnosis and treatment. Stakeholders indicated that PTB detection remains inefficient due to issues such as low-test accuracy, costs, delays, drug-resistance testing, and the need for specialized laboratory techniques and personnel. TS RTPCR is the best-performing strategy, outperforming other strategies for the targeted population from the modelling analysis. Interpretation: TS may serve as a viable alternative worth further exploration and development. An ongoing collaboration between early HTA researchers and innovators has identified valuable information for innovation development. Funding: This work was supported by Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), Thailand, Grant Number FFB670043/0401 and Wellcome Trust grant, Grant Number 223800/Z/21/Z.
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Registered trials
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