Table 1
Chlamydia retest costs by recall method
| Recall method | ||||||
| 1. Client-led | 2. Reminder card | 3. SMS invitation | 4. Phone invitation | 5. Automatic postal test kit | 6. Advice at follow-up and SMS | |
| Number of retest invitations by each method (%), n=2853* (National Chlamydia Screening Programme [NCSP] audit, 20145) | 912 (32%) | 27 (1%) | 840 (29%) | 227 (8%) | 130 (5%) | 528 (19%) |
| Description | Conversation with client at time of test result with no further reminder | Reminder card given to client at time of test result with no further reminder | Client sent text message when retest due | Client invited by phone call when retest due | Testing kit posted to client’s chosen address when retest due | Retesting advised at follow-up call with client - text message sent at 3 months |
| Costs using baseline parameters (10–14 weeks since treatment for first infection) | ||||||
| Cost of chlamydia retesting pathway† | ||||||
| Cost of offering retesting | £2.68 | £2.78 | £5.42 | £14.44 | £2.68 | £17.18 |
| Cost of delivering retest | £24.16 | £24.16 | £24.16 | £24.16 | £13.45 | £24.16 |
| Cost of processing retest and giving results | £28.71 | £28.71 | £28.71 | £28.71 | £28.71 | £28.71 |
| TOTAL COST | £55.54 | £55.64 | £58.28 | £67.31 | £44.83 | £70.05 |
| Cost per retest positive | £481 | £482 | £505 | £583 | £389 | £607 |
| Retest uptake (%) | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 13 |
| Retest rate (%) | 5 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 12 |
| Adjusted cost per retest incorporating incomplete uptake/non-return of kits | £109 | £130 | £120 | £289 | £190 | £195 |
| Adjusted cost per retest positive incorporating incomplete uptake/non-return of kits | £946 | £1126 | £1039 | £2506 | £1646 | £1686 |
| Costs using longer time window for retesting (10–26 weeks since treatment for first infection) | ||||||
| Total cost of chlamydia retesting pathway | £55.38 | £55.48 | £58.12 | £67.15 | £45.32 | £69.89 |
| Cost per retest positive | £344 | £345 | £361 | £417 | £282 | £435 |
| Retest uptake (%) | 16 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 23 | 27 |
| Retest rate (%) | 15 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 23 | 25 |
| Adjusted cost per retest incorporating incomplete uptake/non-return of kits | £73 | £71 | £82 | £142 | £99 | £126 |
| Adjusted cost per retest positive incorporating incomplete uptake/non-return of kits | £456 | £440 | £508 | £883 | £616 | £780 |
| Costs if administrators used instead of nurses (10–14 weeks since treatment for first infection) | ||||||
| Total cost of chlamydia retesting pathway | £52.13 | £52.23 | £54.87 | £60.24 | £41.42 | £62.98 |
| Cost per retest positive | £452 | £453 | £476 | £522 | £359 | £546 |
| Adjusted cost per retest incorporating incomplete uptake/non-return of kits | £106 | £126 | £117 | £227 | £187 | £161 |
| Adjusted cost per retest positive incorporating incomplete uptake/non-return of kits | £917 | £1096 | £1010 | £1963 | £1617 | £1399 |
*Other methods or method not recorded account for the remaining 7% (n=189) of retests.
†Some costs were taken (and some subsequently amended) from the basic cost of a (first) chlamydia test6 which is under a Creative Commons licence.
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