Respiratory PCR Testing Drives Fewer Visits and Lower Costs

HealthTrackRx • Feb 26, 2026

A series of recently published studies led by the clinical and scientific team at HealthTrack highlight the real‑world impact of molecular testing for respiratory infections on healthcare use and costs. Across diverse patient populations, all three studies consistently show that patients who received a molecular polymerase chain reaction PCR test had fewer follow‑up visits, reduced use of healthcare services, and lower overall costs compared with similar patients who did not receive a molecular PCR test. These findings across millions of patients suggest that incorporating PCR testing into routine care pathways supports more accurate diagnosis, more appropriate treatment, and improved downstream outcomes.

Respiratory infections place a significant burden on both patients and healthcare providers. Much of this burden stems from the challenges of accurately and quickly diagnosing respiratory illnesses. Many infections share common signs and symptoms, making it difficult for clinicians to determine the true cause solely from clinical presentation.

Although point‑of‑care tests in doctors’ offices and urgent care centers offer quick results, they are often limited in what they can detect and may not be sensitive enough to provide a clear diagnosis. When these rapid tests are inconclusive, clinicians must either order confirmatory lab testing—which can take days—or make treatment decisions based on clinical “guesswork.”

Because confirmatory tests often don’t return quickly enough to guide timely treatment, they may be skipped altogether. This can lead to inappropriate “just‑in‑case” treatments, including unnecessary antibiotic use. When clinicians don’t have accurate diagnostic tools available in time, this guess‑driven approach can result in prolonged illness, worsening symptoms, avoidable follow‑up visits, higher medical costs, and long‑term consequences such as antibiotic resistance.

Fast, accurate molecular testing helps break the cycle—enabling clinicians to diagnose correctly the first time and make more precise treatment decisions that improve patient outcomes.

HealthTrack’s culture thrives on tackling complex problems. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a defining chapter for the organization. Overnight, demand for molecular diagnostics surged, and the lab scaled from processing a few hundred samples per day to tens of thousands at the peak. The workforce ballooned from roughly 150 employees to nearly 1,000 in response.

Employees embraced the intensity of that period. As one team member shared on the careers page, the collective urgency and shared commitment created a rallying point where innovation and adaptability were not just encouraged — they were essential.

This resilience is carried forward today. Teams are accustomed to shifting priorities, reprioritizing rapidly in response to clinical needs and public health trends. It’s a workplace where a willingness to adapt and a commitment to mission are as important as technical skill.

Advances in diagnostic technology have significantly improved the evaluation of respiratory infections in outpatient settings. Modern molecular tools now enable faster and more accurate detection of pathogens, helping clinicians make better treatment decisions. PCR-based testing has become a leading method over the past decade due to its high accuracy and sensitivity, particularly for identifying complex or mixed infections. Rapid molecular tests for viral illnesses also offer substantial advantages by detecting a broader range of organisms based on a patient’s symptoms.

Today’s syndromic PCR panels can test for multiple pathogens at once and deliver results in under 24 hours. Previous research shows that identifying the true causative pathogen helps guide appropriate treatment, reduces unnecessary antibiotic use, improves antiviral prescribing when appropriate, and minimizes the need for additional testing or procedures.

Importantly, these diagnostic gains are most effective when paired with strong shared decision-making between clinicians and patients—ensuring that faster, more accurate results translate into better clinical care.

Despite clear advantages in accuracy, speed, and pathogen detection, molecular PCR testing has not yet been fully adopted in routine clinical practice. One reason is that, until recently, its real-world impact on patient outcomes, healthcare utilization, and costs had not been well understood. While PCR tests offer superior performance, there was limited large-scale evidence showing how their use influences follow-up visits, downstream treatment decisions, and overall healthcare spending. Real-world impact on patient outcomes, healthcare utilization, and costs had not been well understood.

To address these gaps, this research evaluated outcomes across a large and diverse patient population. By examining real-world healthcare claims, the studies aimed to clarify whether using PCR testing in everyday care pathways leads to measurable improvements in patient care and the resources required afterward.