Integrated treatment-decision algorithms for childhood TB: modelling diagnostic performance and costs.

ABSTRACT:

Background

To improve childhood tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, treatment-decision algorithms (TDAs) with and without chest X-ray (CXR) were developed for children under age 10. We aimed to model diagnostic performance and costs of implementing TDAs in primary healthcare (PHC) and district hospital (DH) settings in Uganda.

Methods

We developed decision-tree models following the TDA pathway from evaluation to treatment-decision. We compared six scenarios with combinations of diagnostic testing (stool and respiratory Xpert, urine lipoarabinomannan, and/or CXR) at PHCs and DHs. Outcomes were diagnostic accuracy and cost per correct treatment-decision for a cohort of 10,000 children with presumptive TB using a Monte Carlo simulation from a health system perspective. Costs were repo

SUBMITTER: Gaeddert M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12204283 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature