Towards a framework for prioritizing diagnostics in the global AMR response.

Area of Science:

• Medical diagnostics
• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Public health policy

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) diagnostics are vital for patient care and antimicrobial stewardship.
• Current prioritization methods for AMR diagnostics are fragmented and lack real-world impact linkage.
• Existing frameworks often assess diagnostic aspects in isolation, limiting guidance for resource-constrained settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a pragmatic framework for prioritizing antimicrobial resistance diagnostics.
• To integrate key domains for decision-oriented prioritization.
• To guide global and national agendas for AMR diagnostic development and implementation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel prioritization framework for AMR diagnostics.
• Integration of four key domains: scale of the problem, implementability, diagnostic impact, and unmet need.
• Emphasis on surfacing trade-offs for structured decision-making.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework facilitates weighted, decision-oriented prioritization over ad hoc or market-driven selection.
• It provides a structured mechanism for global AMR agenda setting and national/local priority translation.
• The framework helps identify high-priority use cases, such as rapid diagnostics for neonatal sepsis.

Conclusions:

• A structured, multi-domain framework is essential for effective AMR diagnostic prioritization.
• This approach supports informed policy, investment, and innovation for critical AMR diagnostic needs.
• Prioritizing diagnostics like those for neonatal sepsis can drive coordinated global and local action.