QuantiFERON - Worth the Cost

Just out on the google machine;

The advantages of the quantiferon gold assay have prompted me to switch my patients on immunosuppressive therapies to baseline and annual quantiferon gold screenings. This has been good for both me and my patients. First of all, I don’t need to pursue so many positive TB test results, due to the test’s specificity and greater convenience. As for my patients, the single trip to the lab for blood drawing rather than two visits to the physician’s office is truly appreciated.

This is an exciting new development in my practice, allowing for enhanced accuracy and convenience for patients, and reduced hassles for everyone. Do consider checking with the labs that you use about whether this test is available to your patients, and if so, I strongly recommend that you consider using it for your patient monitoring. As we strive for more optimum care of our psoriasis patients we also need to figure out how to monitor patients efficiently and successfully. This step has made the process better for all.  

Dr. Van Voorhees is Associate Professor, University of Pennsylvania Health System and Director of its Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center.