OBJECTIVES: Overuse of antibiotics poses a major threat to health systems globally. While the use of diagnostics has the potential to lead to more targeted and better-quality antibiotic prescribing, there is scope for improving the uptake of point-of-care tests (POCTs) by physicians prior to antibiotic prescribing. The objective of this study was to support the use of POCTs in practice by developing fit for purpose policy recommendations related to funding, pricing, and procurement of POCTs used in patients with community-acquired acute respiratory tract infections (CA-ARTI).

METHODS: We first reviewed funding, pricing, and procurement policies for CA-ARTI POCTs in European countries and their barriers and facilitators, based on data collected through interview-based country case studies. Draft recommendations were derived from this assessment of the status-quo by an expert group of health policy researchers and were revised in a comprehensive review process that included both written and oral comments in expert meetings.

RESULTS: The expert review process resulted in a set of seven policy recommendations: four recommendations relate to funding of CA-ARTI POCTs and three recommendations relate to pricing and procurement policies. The recommendations address, for example, physician remuneration, product-specific reimbursement of CA-ARTI POCTs, the suggestion to investigate the potential of price regulations, or to implement more strategic approaches to public procurement of CA-ARTI POCTs.

CONCLUSIONS: Optimizing national policies related to funding, pricing, and procurement of CA-ARTI POCT to address user challenges could help improve uptake of diagnostics prior to antibiotic prescriptions in community care. Addressing country-specific circumstances is critical to successful implementation. In addition to measures on funding, pricing, and procurement, supporting measures from other areas are recommended, such as benefit assessment, stakeholder communication, improving population health literacy, or surveillance activities.