by Raymond Oppong, Raj Gill, Kay Roy Background Patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often face acute symptom exacerbations. Current management approaches lack precision in diagnosis.
To address this, the Biofire Film Array Respiratory Panel RP 2.1 (RP 2.1+) test was developed, aiming to swiftly confirm or rule out common respiratory viral and bacterial infections. This study aims to evaluate the RP 2.1 + test’s cost-effectiveness and explore the potential impact of accounting for the costs of antimicrobial resistance.
Methods We conducted a model-based cost-utility analysis from a healthcare perspective over 40 years. The design of our model, along with its parameters, was informed by insights from a targeted literature review and expert opinions.
To account for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) two approaches were adopted. Including applying penalty points to the cost of antibiotic prescriptions and estimating the potential cost savings from reductions in AMR.
Results The results indicate that the RP 2.1 + test is cost-saving and more effective.
PLOS ONE (Medicine) published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 27 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Cost-effectiveness of biofire assay for respiratory infection testing: An economic evaluation exploring the inclusion of the costs of antimirobial resistance.
Review the original article for the full source wording and details.