The largest benefit of providing diagnostic testing is that it promotes antibiotic stewardship. With the level of accuracy of this testing, you no longer have to worry about prescribing too little or too much medication. You hit the target the first time, helping the patient get better faster and stay better longer.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has discovered over 2/3 of all antibiotics prescribed are inappropriate and 1/3 are unnecessary.1 Antibiotic stewardship is a coordinated program that promotes the appropriate use of antibiotics, improves patient outcomes, and decreases the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms.

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics is one of the world’s most pressing public health problems. Infectious organisms adapt to the antimicrobials designed to kill them, making the drugs ineffective. People infected with antimicrobial-resistant organisms are more likely to have longer, more expensive hospital stays, and may be more likely to die as a result of an infection. Any medical practice promoting antibiotic stewardship should be utilizing RT-qPCR testing.