Accelerating the Development and Uptake of Rapid Diagnostics to Address Antibiotic Resistance: Proceedings of a Workshop (2023)

The use and misuse of antibiotics contributes to the rise in drug-resistant bacteria—a serious and worsening threat to human health. Addressing the problem of antibiotic resistance requires measures to spur innovation and ensure the prudent use of existing drugs. The development and use of rapid point-of-care diagnostics in the healthcare setting plays an important role in avoiding unnecessary use of antimicrobials by providing clinicians with the right information at the right time to help them make
decisions about appropriate drug treatment for patients. Diagnostics also have the capacity to support early detection and diagnosis of drug-resistant bacterial infections, enable disease surveillance, and help prevent disease spread.

On October 13th and 14th of 2022, a workshop entitled Accelerating the Development and Uptake of Rapid Diagnostics to Address Antibiotic Resistance was convened by the National Academies’ Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation; the Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies; and the Forum on Microbial Threats. The workshop provided a venue for stakeholders to discuss the current landscape of rapid diagnostics and to address antibiotic resistance, consider challenges and opportunities for spurring innovation, and consider practical next steps for accelerating the development and uptake of new diagnostic tools. Given the breadth and depth of the issues related to diagnostic development and use, the focus of this workshop was on U.S.-based healthcare settings, policies, and incentives. Workshop participants discussed some of the global implications and considerations as well, which merit further time and attention.