Last Updated on: 21st November 2023, 09:32 pm
A new economic model released by bioinformatics company Genpax has found that the implementation of whole genome sequencing (WGS) could save the National Health Service (NHS) in England up to £0.5bn annually and the US health system over $3bn.
The model, published in the journal Microbial Genomics, also suggests that up to 1,200 hospital care-associated deaths and 4,800 deaths in the US could be prevented.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major economic burden to global healthcare systems. In England, they currently cost the NHS over £3bn a year and the US health system over $18bn.
This model examined the potential for WGS to prevent outbreaks, protect vulnerable patients, reduce the transmission of bacterial HAIs, and reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is when microbes become resistant to antimicrobials that would usually treat the infection. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was linked to nearly 5 million deaths worldwide in 2019.
The model concluded that implementing the strategy could prevent 74,000 infections and save the NHS in England around £480 million each year, providing a return on investment of £7.83 for every pound invested in diagnostic WGS. Similarly, the US health system could make a net saving of $3.2 billion, and a greater return on investment of $18.74 for every dollar invested.
John M. Fox, one of the authors of the paper, commented: “This economic model has major implications for health policymakers, healthcare leaders, and diagnostic providers as it shows the overwhelming benefits of the broad-scale deployment of this technology.”
The full paper “Economic and health impact modelling of a Whole Genome Sequencing-led intervention strategy for bacterial Healthcare-Associated Infections for England and the USA,” can be found at https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001087.
Genpax is a bioinformatics company providing novel analytic solutions which aim to provide accurate, high resolution and scalable analysis of bacterial genomes for infection prevention and control.
The Microbiology Society is a membership charity for scientists interested in microbes, their effects and their practical uses. It has a worldwide membership based in universities, industry, hospitals, research institutes, schools, and other organisations.
A new economic model from bioinformatics company Genpax has found that widespread implementation of whole genome sequencing (WGS) could save the English National Health Service (NHS) up to £0.5bn annually and the US health system over $3bn.
The model, published in Microbial Genomics, also suggests that up to 1,200 hospital care-associated deaths and 4,800 in the US could be prevented.
Currently, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cost the NHS in England over £3bn a year and the US health system over $18bn. The model examines the potential for WGS to prevent outbreaks, protect vulnerable patients, reduce the transmission of bacterial HAIs, and reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is when microbes become resistant to antimicrobials that would usually treat the infection. In 2019, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked it to nearly 5 million deaths worldwide.
According to the model, implementing this strategy could prevent 74,000 infections and save the NHS in England around £480 million annually, yielding a return on investment of £7.83 for every pound invested in diagnostic WGS. Applying the model to the USA projected a net saving of $3.2 billion and a greater return on investment of $18.74 for every $1 invested.
John M. Fox, one of the authors of the paper said: “This economic model has major implications for health policymakers, healthcare leaders, and diagnostic providers as it shows the overwhelming benefits of the broad-scale deployment of this technology.”
The full paper, “Economic and health impact modelling of a Whole Genome Sequencing-led intervention strategy for bacterial Healthcare-Associated Infections for England and the USA,” can be found at https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001087.
Genpax, a bioinformatics company providing novel analytic solutions, aims to provide accurate, high resolution and scalable analysis of bacterial genomes for infection prevention and control. The Microbiology Society is a membership charity for scientists interested in microbes, their effects and their practical uses.
A new economic model from bioinformatics company Genpax has
