Antimicrobial Resistance – A Global Public Health Threat

Antibiotics are often prescribed before a pathogen is confirmed. This practice, known as empiric therapy, is common in outpatient environments where traditional testing methods take too long to influence real-time clinical decisions.

Up to 28 percent of outpatient antibiotics are prescribed unnecessarily, contributing directly to resistance, avoidable side effects, and rising healthcare costs.²

Clinicians are not ignoring guidelines. They are navigating practical constraints.

When diagnostic results arrive days later, the prescription has already been written, filled, and taken. In these scenarios, even the most well-intentioned providers lack the information needed to confidently withhold, narrow, or stop antibiotic therapy.

AMR, in many cases, is not a knowledge gap. It is a timing problem.

The downstream consequences of antimicrobial resistance are already measurable.

• 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year³
• More than 35,000 Americans die annually from drug-resistant infections³
• 1 in 5 medication-related emergency room visits is due to antibiotic side effects⁴
• $4.6 billion annually is spent treating infections caused by resistant organisms in the U.S.⁵

Looking ahead, the projections are even more concerning.

• By 2050, deaths from drug-resistant infections are expected to increase by 70 percent⁶
• This could result in up to 40 million deaths globally each year⁶
• An estimated 2 million deaths annually in the U.S. alone⁶

These are not abstract forecasts. They reflect the cumulative impact of delayed diagnosis and unnecessary antibiotic exposure over time.

Modern molecular diagnostics have shifted what is possible.

Next-morning results allow providers to move from suspicion to certainty quickly enough to:

• Differentiate viral from bacterial infections
• De-escalate unnecessary antibiotic use
• Select targeted therapies when treatment is appropriate
• Reinforce guideline-aligned decision-making

Among urgent care providers using HealthTrack diagnostics 87 percent reported improved diagnostic accuracy or reduced antibiotic prescribing.⁷

“When clinicians have actionable diagnostic results quickly, prescribing behavior changes. Diagnostics give providers the confidence to treat precisely rather than broadly.” Jay Reddy, PhD, Chief Science Officer, HealthTrack

This confidence is critical in outpatient care, where follow-up decisions often hinge on whether results arrive in time to matter.

HealthTrack’s diagnostic model was built around one core principle: results must arrive fast enough to change care.

Through streamlined, syndromic molecular panels aligned to seasonality and clinical guidelines, HealthTrack supports:

• Next-morning turnaround times
• Menus designed specifically for urgent care and pediatrics
• Actionable insights that inform real treatment decisions

Rather than broad, one-size-fits-all testing, HealthTrack focuses on targeted diagnostics that answer the most clinically relevant questions first.

This approach reduces unnecessary antibiotic exposure while supporting faster, more confident care.

Antimicrobial resistance is not a future concern. It is already influencing patient outcomes, healthcare costs, and community health.

“AMR is not an abstract concept. It is the direct result of how quickly and accurately we diagnose infection. Speed to the right answer protects patients today and preserves antibiotics for the future.” Steven Goldberg, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, HealthTrack

Every delayed or unclear diagnosis increases the likelihood of broad-spectrum prescribing. Every timely, accurate result creates an opportunity for better stewardship.

In 2021, AMR discussions centered on awareness and warning.

Today, the focus is on execution.

• Diagnostics are faster
• Testing menus are more precise
• Clinical guidelines emphasize targeted therapy
• Providers expect results that inform care, not just confirm it later

HealthTrack has evolved alongside this shift, moving from broad testing approaches to focused, guideline-aligned diagnostics designed for real-world outpatient workflows.

Antimicrobial resistance cannot be solved by prescribing less alone.

It is solved by knowing more, sooner.

When clinicians have fast, reliable diagnostic answers, they can act decisively, treat appropriately, and protect the effectiveness of antibiotics for the patients who truly need them.

Diagnostics are no longer a supporting tool in the fight against AMR. They are the foundation.