A cost-effectiveness evaluation of latent tuberculosis infection screening of a migrant population in Malaysia

To estimate the costs and benefits of screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in a migrant population in Malaysia. An economic model was developed from a Malaysian healthcare perspective to compare QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QuantiFERON) with the tuberculin skin test (TST). A decision tree was used to capture outcomes relating to LTBI screening followed by a Markov model that simulated the lifetime costs and benefits of the patient cohort. The Markov model did not capture the impact of secondary infections. The model included an R shiny interactive interface to allow adaptation to other scenarios and settings. QuantiFERON is both more effective and less costly than TST (dominant). Compared with QuantiFERON, the lifetime risk of developing active TB increases by approximately 40% for TST due to missed LTBI cases during screening (i.e. a higher number of false negative cases for TST). For a migrant population in Malaysia, QuantiFERON is cost-effective when compared with TST. Further research should consider targeted LTBI screening for migrants in Malaysia based on common risk factors.

Automated summary

This study aimed to estimate the costs and benefits of screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in a migrant population in Malaysia. An economic model comparing QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QuantiFERON) with the tuberculin skin test (TST) was developed, using a decision tree and a Markov model. The results showed that QuantiFERON is more effective and less costly than TST, making it a cost-effective option for screening LTBI in migrants in Malaysia. Future research should focus on targeted LTBI screening based on common risk factors in this population.