Cost-effectiveness of microscopy of urethral smears for asymptomatic Mycoplasma genitalium urethritis in men in England
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Accepted version
Supporting information
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The objective was to determine whether or not the limited use of urethral microscopy to diagnose asymptomatic and symptomatic non-chlamydial, non-gonococcal urethritis (NCNGU) in men is a cost-effective strategy to avert pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregnancy or infertility in female partners. Outputs from a transmission dynamic model of NCNGU in a population of 16–30 year olds in England simulating the number of consultations, PID cases and patients treated over time amongst others, were used along with secondary data to undertake a cost-effectiveness analysis carried out from a health care provider perspective. The main outcome measure was cost per case of PID averted. A secondary outcome measure was cost per major outcome averted, where a major outcome is a case of symptomatic PID, ectopic pregnancy, or infertility. Offering a limited number of asymptomatic men urethral microscopy was more effective than the current practice of no microscopy in terms of reducing the number of cases of PID with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £15,700, meaning that an investment of £15,800 is required to avert one case of PID. For major outcomes averted, offering some asymptomatic men urethral microscopy was again found to be more effective than no microscopy, but here an investment of £49,900 is required to avert one major outcome. Testing asymptomatic men for NCNGU in a small number of genitourinary medicine settings in England is not cost-effective, and thus by maintaining the current practice of not offering this patient group microscopy, this continues to make savings for the health care provider.
Date Issued
2017-07-01
Date Acceptance
2017-05-23
Citation
International Journal of STD & AIDS, 2017, 29 (1), pp.72-79
ISSN
1758-1052
Publisher
SAGE Publications (UK and US)
Start Page
72
End Page
79
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of STD & AIDS
Volume
29
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2017. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in International Journal of STD & AIDS by Sage Publications Ltd. All rights reserved. It is available at: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956462417717651
Sponsor
Barts Health NHS Trust
Medical Research Council (MRC)
National Institute for Health Research
Grant Number
N/A
MR/K010174/1B
HPRU-2012-10080
Subjects
Men
non-gonococcal urethritis
urethritis
1103 Clinical Sciences
1108 Medical Microbiology
1117 Public Health And Health Services
Public Health
Publication Status
Published