Economic and operational impact of an improved pathway using rapid molecular diagnostic testing for patients with influenza-like illness in a German emergency department

To evaluate the economic and operational effects of implementing a shorted diagnostic pathway during influenza epidemics. This retrospective study used emergency department (ED) data from the 2014/2015 influenza season. Alere i influenza A & B rapid molecular diagnostic test (RDT) was compared with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) pathway. Differences in room occupancy time in the ED and inpatient ward and cost differences were calculated for the 14-week influenza season. The process flow was more streamlined with the RDT pathway, and the necessary isolation time in the ED was 9 h lower than for PCR. The difference in the ED examination room occupancy time was 2.9 h per patient on a weekday and 4 h per patient on a weekend day, and the difference in the inpatient room occupancy time was 2 h per patient on a weekday and 3 h per patient on a weekend day. Extrapolated time differences across the influenza season were projected to be 2733 h in the ED examination room occupancy and 1440 h in inpatient room occupancy. In patients with a negative diagnosis, the RDT was also estimated to reduce the total diagnostic costs by 41.52 € per patient compared with PCR. The total cost difference was projected to be 31,892 € across a 14-week influenza season. The improved process and earlier diagnosis with the RDT pathway compared with conventional PCR resulted in considerable savings in ED, inpatient room occupancy time and cost across the influenza season.