OBJECTIVES: Screening and monitoring of diabetes or dyslipidemia frequently involves a multi-step process requiring patients to obtain test requisitions from their primary care physician (PCP), followed by a laboratory visit and re-consultation. Point-of-care testing (POCT) for hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) and lipid panel can streamline the patient pathway. This study assessed the budget impact of introducing Afinion™ 2 POCT from the Italian and Canadian societal perspectives.

METHODS: Budget impact models were developed for Italy and Canada. The analyses considered the screening and monitoring of diabetes or dyslipidemia for patients utilizing the public system and attending primary care, including direct costs (testing, consultations) and indirect costs (productivity loss, transportation) based on published sources. The budget impact (BI) was calculated by comparing scenarios with and without POCT. All costs were adjusted to 2024 Euros (€) or Canadian dollars ($). Scenario analyses were conducted to explore the impact of alternative assumptions.

RESULTS: The 5-year cumulative BI was -€1,385,295,572 (-€6,391,954 direct, -€1,378,903,617 indirect) for HbA_1c POCT and -€878,559,750 (+€29,195,244 direct, -€907,754,993 indirect) for lipid panel POCT in Italy, and -$758,006,692 (-$50,709,964 direct, -$707,296,728 indirect) and -$726,452,755 (+$2,684,011 direct, -$729,136,766 indirect) in Canada. Cost savings for both the healthcare payer and patients were observed for HbA_1c POCT in both countries. For lipid panel POCT, costs savings were derived from patient indirect costs. The analyses estimated that 4,962,338 and 1,951,026 PCP consultations in Italy and 1,558,062 and 1,501,260 PCP consultations in Canada were avoided with POCT for HbA_1c and lipid panel, respectively. Scenario analyses demonstrated potential further cost savings with implementation of POCT in pharmacies.

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the adoption of Afinion™ 2 POCT can provide efficiencies to different types of healthcare systems through reducing PCP consultations, saving time and money for patients and, in many cases, providing cost savings for payers.