A new economic model published in the journal Microbial Genomics has concluded that implementing whole genome sequencing (WGS) could save the National Health Service (NHS) in England close to £0.5bn and prevent 1,200 hospital care-associated avoidable deaths, and the US health system over $3bn and 4,800 deaths.
The model, built by bioinformatics company Genpax, examined the potential for WGS to prevent outbreaks, safeguard vulnerable patient populations, reduce the transmission rates of bacterial healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The research concluded that by implementing this strategy, 74,000 infections could be prevented, equating to around 700,000 bed days and saving approximately £480 million for the NHS in England annually. On a global level, AMR was associated with nearly 5 million deaths in 2019 according to the CDC.
John M. Fox, lead author 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,” by John M. Fox, Dr Nigel J. Saunders, Dr Susie H. Jerwood is available at the following URL: https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001087
A new economic model published in the journal Microbial Genomics has revealed that whole genome sequencing (WGS) could save the National Health Service (NHS) in England close to £0.5bn and prevent 1,200 hospital care-associated avoidable deaths, and the US health system over $3bn and 4,800 deaths.
The model, created by bioinformatics company Genpax, studied the potential for WGS to prevent outbreaks, safeguard vulnerable patient populations, reduce the transmission rates of bacterial healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and decrease the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The research concluded that implementing this strategy could stop 74,000 infections, equating to around 700,000 bed days and saving approximately £480 million for the NHS in England annually. On a global level, AMR was linked to nearly 5 million deaths in 2019 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
John M. Fox, lead author of the paper, commented: “This economic model has major implications for health policymakers, healthcare leaders, and diagnostic providers as it demonstrates 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,” by John M. Fox, Dr Nigel J. Saunders, Dr Susie H. Jerwood can be accessed at https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.001087
A new economic model published in the journal Microbial Genomics has found that implementing whole genome sequencing (WGS) could save the National Health Service (NHS) in England close to £0.5bn and prevent 1,200 hospital care-associated avoidable deaths, and the US health system over $3bn and 4,800 deaths.
Bioinformatics company Genpax created the model to examine the potential for WGS to prevent outbreaks, safeguard vulnerable patient populations, reduce the transmission rates of bacterial healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The research concluded that by implementing this strategy, 74,000 infections could be prevented, equating to around 700,000 bed days and saving approximately £480 million for the NHS in England annually. On a global level, AMR was associated with nearly 5 million deaths in 2019 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Lead author of the paper, John M. Fox, 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,” by John M. Fox, Dr Nigel J. Saunders, Dr Susie H. Jerwood is available online at https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/mgen/10.1099/mgen.0.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.