Costs of QuantiFERON®-TB Gold versus tuberculin skin test in Spanish healthcare workers

We compared the cost of the tuberculin skin test (TST) with the QuantiFERON®-TB Gold (QFT-G) test when screening for latent tuberculosis in 134 healthcare workers in Spain. The QFT-G test cost €42.5 per healthcare worker, while the TST cost €39.5. The tests varied in cost structure; most (70%) TST costs were due to time demands on the participants, whereas the QFT-G was more expensive in terms of consumables (50% of the total cost). Accordingly, the results depend on the hourly wages of the participants and the time they must dedicate to the tests. In the Spanish healthcare system, the societal costs of QFT-G are comparable to those of the TST, although their cost structures are quite distinct.