Global Demand for Hospital-Acquired Infection Diagnostic Products To Rise Sharply
The WHO states that 7 out of 100 patients in developed countries and 10 in 100 patients in developing countries acquire at least one hospital-acquired infection (HAI). Moreover, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) states that 1,502 cases of hospital-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) were recorded in the public hospitals of Australia in 2016–2017. Likewise, the CDC estimates that around 1 in 31 patients in the U.S. contract at least one HAI at any given time.
Thus, the surging incidence of infections acquired in clinical settings will help the hospital-acquired infection diagnostics market exhibit rapid growth in the years to come. To diagnose HAIs accurately with a low turnaround time, medical device, life sciences, and biotechnology companies are focusing on the development of technologically advanced products. Essentially, diagnosing HAIs is no different from diagnosing other infections, and common techniques, such as urinalysis, immunoassays, and molecular diagnostics, are applied for detecting them.
Additionally, the soaring aging population will result in the large-scale adoption of HAI diagnostic products in hospitals, clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), as they are frequent visitors to these healthcare settings due to their weak immune systems. According to the 2019 World Population Prospects report of the United Nations (UN), 1 in 6 individuals in the world will be more than 65 years of age by 2025. Moreover, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) forecasts that the population of people aged 65 years and above will reach around 1.5 billion by 2050.
Besides, the introduction of HAI identification and prevention awareness programs by numerous government and non-profit organizations will propel the use of HAI diagnostic products globally. For example, the Patient Safety Solutions program by the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety and the Collaborating Centre aims to reduce the instances of healthcare-related harm in the world. This program aims to improve hand hygiene to prevent HAIs, facilitate the adoption of single-use injection devices, control concentrated electrolyte solutions, assure medication accuracy at transition in care, and prevent catheter and tubing misconnections in healthcare facilities.
Healthcare units use a range of instruments, reagents, and consumables to diagnose hospital-acquired pneumonia and bloodstream, urinary tract infections (UTIs), gastrointestinal infections, and surgical site infections (SSIs) via immunoassay, urinalysis, and molecular diagnostic tests. In the coming years, medical professionals will increasingly rely on molecular diagnostics due to the growing public awareness about personalized medicine, and rising number of projects related to biomarker identification. Emerging economies around the world are expected to show a high inclination for this test type due to the growing public awareness regarding HAIs.
Globally, the North American region will emerge as the leader of the hospital-acquired infection diagnostics market in the foreseeable future, owing to its improved healthcare sector, a surge in the number of patients affected by nosocomial infections, and a strong presence of prominent diagnostic product manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, the mounting geriatric population and soaring public awareness about HAIs will propel the use of such medical products.
Thus, the rising cases of HAIs and burgeoning geriatric population will facilitate the use of products to help diagnose them worldwide.