An assessment of nucleic acid amplification testing for active mycobacterial infection

Economic evaluation

A cost–utility analysis is presented to assess the cost-effectiveness of adding NAAT to AFB smear microscopy, and culture and sensitivity (C&S), testing in a population with clinical signs and symptoms of active TB. A summary of the structure of the mechanics of the economic model is presented in Table ES .

Table ES Summary of the economic evaluation

Time horizon	20 months
Outcomes	Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)
Costs	Australian dollars, 2014 prices
Methods used to generate results	Decision tree analysis
Discount rate	5% costs and outcomes accrued beyond 1 year