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Public health costs for tuberculosis suspects in Wake County, North Carolina, United States.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Park, PH; Holland, DP; Wade, A; Goswami, ND; Bissette, D; Stout, JE
Published in: Int J Tuberc Lung Dis
June 2013

SETTING: As the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) declines in high-income countries, resources to control TB are also declining. A portion of these resources are utilized for the evaluation and treatment of persons initially suspected of, but who do not actually have, TB (TB suspects). OBJECTIVE: To describe the cost of TB suspects to public health departments, and determine whether part of this cost can be averted using improved diagnostic tools. DESIGN: We evaluated resource utilization for all TB suspects as well as a random sample of TB cases managed at the Wake County public health clinic during 2008-2010. The proportion of total health department costs attributable to TB suspects was estimated. A sensitivity analysis assessed the potential impact of a rapid, accurate diagnostic test to avert suspect-associated costs. RESULTS: Of 135 patients evaluated for TB, 36 (27%) were suspects, accounting for 14% (US5,885) of the total estimated costs for managing all patients. A perfect diagnostic test with a 3-day turnaround would have averted US27,975 (53%) of the costs attributable to suspects. CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of public health resources is utilized to manage persons whose final diagnosis is not TB. Efficient implementation of novel rapid tests could avert substantial public health costs.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis

DOI

EISSN

1815-7920

Publication Date

June 2013

Volume

17

Issue

6

Start / End Page

759 / 763

Location

France

Related Subject Headings

  • Tuberculosis
  • Time Factors
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Public Health Practice
  • Public Health
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques
  • North Carolina
  • Middle Aged
  • Microbiology
  • Male
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Park, P. H., Holland, D. P., Wade, A., Goswami, N. D., Bissette, D., & Stout, J. E. (2013). Public health costs for tuberculosis suspects in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 17(6), 759–763. https://doi.org/10.5588/ijtld.12.0739
Park, P. H., D. P. Holland, A. Wade, N. D. Goswami, D. Bissette, and J. E. Stout. “Public health costs for tuberculosis suspects in Wake County, North Carolina, United States.Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 17, no. 6 (June 2013): 759–63. https://doi.org/10.5588/ijtld.12.0739.
Park PH, Holland DP, Wade A, Goswami ND, Bissette D, Stout JE. Public health costs for tuberculosis suspects in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2013 Jun;17(6):759–63.
Park, P. H., et al. “Public health costs for tuberculosis suspects in Wake County, North Carolina, United States.Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, vol. 17, no. 6, June 2013, pp. 759–63. Pubmed, doi:10.5588/ijtld.12.0739.
Park PH, Holland DP, Wade A, Goswami ND, Bissette D, Stout JE. Public health costs for tuberculosis suspects in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2013 Jun;17(6):759–763.

Published In

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis

DOI

EISSN

1815-7920

Publication Date

June 2013

Volume

17

Issue

6

Start / End Page

759 / 763

Location

France

Related Subject Headings

  • Tuberculosis
  • Time Factors
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Public Health Practice
  • Public Health
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques
  • North Carolina
  • Middle Aged
  • Microbiology
  • Male