Point of care Xpert MTB/RIF versus smear microscopy for tuberculosis diagnosis in southern African primary care clinics: a multicentre economic evaluation

This latest study from South Africa used empirical cost data nested within a randomised controlled trial of point-of-care Xpert versus sputum smear microscopy in four African countries.

Data on the cost-effectiveness of Xpert situated at a centralised laboratory remain discordant. However, the available evidence in this study suggests that, in clinics where volume of testing is sufficiently high to offset implementation costs, point-of-care Xpert testing is likely to provide good value for money in high-burden settings in sub-Saharan Africa.

Please see the paper for more details.
Pooran et al. 2019.pdf (615.6 KB)