The cost-effectiveness of introducing nucleic acid testing to test for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and human immunodeficiency virus among blood donors in Sweden
Thomas Davidson
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorBengt Ekermo
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorHans Gaines
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorBirgitta Lesko
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorBritt Åkerlind
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorThomas Davidson
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorBengt Ekermo
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorHans Gaines
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorBirgitta Lesko
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorBritt Åkerlind
From the Center for Medical Technology Assessment (CMT), the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, and the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Linköping University, and the Department of Clinical Immunology & Transfusion Medicine, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden; and the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control and the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of using individual-donor nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT) in addition to serologic tests compared with the sole use of serologic tests for the identification of hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among blood donors in Sweden.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The two strategies analyzed were serologic tests and ID-NAT plus serologic tests. A health-economic model was used to estimate the lifetime costs and effects. The effects were measured as infections avoided and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained. A societal perspective was used.
RESULTS: The largest number of viral transmissions occurred with serologic testing only. However, the risks for viral transmissions were very low with both strategies. The total cost was mainly influenced by the cost of the test carried out. The cost of using ID-NAT plus serologic tests compared to serologic tests alone was estimated at Swedish Krona (SEK) 101 million (USD 12.7 million) per avoided viral transmission. The cost per QALY gained was SEK 22 million (USD 2.7 million).
CONCLUSION: Using ID-NAT for testing against HBV, HCV, and HIV among blood donors leads to cost-effectiveness ratios that are far beyond what is usually considered cost-effective. The main reason for this is that with current methods, the risks for virus transmission are very low in Sweden.
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