Economic Assessment of Reverse Algorithm Syphilis Screening in a High Prevalence Population

Abstract

Background: More laboratories are screening for syphilis with automated treponemal immunoassays. We compared direct costs and downstream consequences when a local public health laboratory switches from a traditional algorithm (nontreponemal screening) to a reverse algorithm (treponemal screening).

Methods: We created a decision analysis model based on laboratory and surveillance data to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a reverse syphilis-screening algorithm from the perspectives of the Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (laboratory + STD Program costs) in 2015 US dollars.

Results: The estimated total costs for the Department (Public Health Laboratories) were $2,153,225 ($367,119) for the traditional algorithm and $2,197,478 ($239,855) for the reverse algorithm. Reverse algorithm screening was estimated to detect an additional 626 cases of syphilis, 9.7% more than the traditional algorithm. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the reverse algorithm from the Public Health Department's perspective was $39 per additional syphilis case detected. Cost of follow-up, screening test costs, positivity rates, and frequency of repeat infections most affected the cost-effectiveness of reverse algorithm. Costs were significantly higher for the reverse algorithm when the enzyme Immunoassay/chemiluminescence immunoassay screening test cost was the same as the published Centers for Medicaid Services treponemal test cost.

Conclusions: Using the reverse algorithm would have been slightly more expensive for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, but would have identified more syphilis cases and would have resulted in lower laboratory costs.