Table 3 One-way sensitivity analysis results

From: The complete costs of genome sequencing: a microcosting study in cancer and rare diseases from a single center in the United Kingdom

Parameter (base case value)

Variation

Genome sequencing for cancer

Genome sequencing for rare diseases

Cost

% Change vs. base case

Cost

% Change vs. base case

Base case analysis

-

£6840.85

-

£7050.11

-

Annual sample throughput (399 samples)

100

£9499.91

39%

£10,804.71

53%

200

£7726.24

13%

£8300.28

18%

500

£6662.04

−3%

£6797.63

−4%

750

£6425.56

−6%

£6463.70

−8%

1000

£6307.31

−8%

£6296.74

−11%

2000

£6129.95

−10%

£6046.30

−14%

National Insurance/superannuation multiplier (20%)a

10%

£6752.86

−1%

£6971.89

−1%

30%

£6928.84

1%

£7128.33

1%

Weeks worked per year (44)b

40

£6946.44

2%

£7143.97

1%

50

£6714.15

−2%

£6937.47

−2%

Hours worked per week (37.5)b

30

£7104.82

4%

£7284.77

3%

45

£6664.87

−3%

£6893.67

−2%

Overheads (20%)

10%

£6270.78

−8%

£6462.60

−8%

30%

£7410.92

8%

£7637.62

8%

Discount rate (3.5%)

1.5%

£6799.67

−1%

£6988.30

−1%

5.0%

£6873.08

0%

£7098.47

1%

VAT (excluded)

Included

£7901.69

16%

£8215.43

17%

BAM files archived? (no)

Yes

£6962.87

2%

£7172.29

2%

Years of data archiving (5)

3

£6840.39

0%

£7049.71

0%

10

£6842.00

0%

£7051.09

0%

Research bioinformatics

Excluded

£6679.23

−2%

Based

-

Included

Basec

-

N/A

-

Standard case

N/A

-

£7593.67

8%

Intermediate case

N/A

-

£7582.82

8%

PE kit cost (£2597)

50%

£6001.71

−12%

£6210.96

−12%

150%

£7680.00

12%

£7889.25

12%

SBS kit cost (£4207)

50%

£5481.61

−20%

£5690.86

−19%

150%

£8200.10

20%

£8409.35

19%

Sequencing machine cost (£474,373)

50%

£6669.46

−3%

£6793.01

−4%

150%

£7012.25

3%

£7307.20

4%

Family size for rare disease cases (3)

2.4

N/A

-

£5650.39

−20%

2.6

N/A

-

£6116.96

−13%

2.8

N/A

-

£6583.53

−7%

Error rate—library processing (5%)

2.5%

£6834.66

0%

£7041.41

0%

7.5%

£6847.05

0%

£7059.10

0%

Error rate—clustering (15%)

5%

£6838.92

0%

£7048.18

0%

25%

£6842.78

0%

£7052.04

0%

Error rate for the sequencing by synthesis and paired end kits (7.7%)

4%

£6690.20

−2%

£6899.45

−2%

12%

£7016.82

3%

£7226.08

2%

Error rate—sequencing (25%)

15%

£6835.57

0%

£7044.83

0%

35%

£6845.95

0%

£7055.20

0%

  1. BAM   binary alignment file, PE  paired end, SBS sequencing by synthesis, VAT value-added tax.
  2. aNational Insurance is a UK tax that funds state benefits. As this is an expense that is directly incurred by employers (rather than a transfer payment), this cost is typically included in economic evaluations and microcosting studies.
  3. bThroughput held constant in this sensitivity analysis. Hourly wage rates were generated for our analysis by combining data on annual staff salaries with assumptions regarding weeks worked per year and hours worked per week. As hourly wage rates (and thus our overall cost estimates) naturally varied when these assumptions were varied, we evaluated variations in these parameters in our sensitivity analysis.
  4. cThe base case analysis for cancer includes research bioinformatics costs as these costs are relatively few (£134.69). This calculation assumes that for cancer, severity of case does not impact on research bioinformatics costs.
  5. dThe base case analysis for rare diseases does not include research bioinformatics costs as these costs are more substantial and variable. Costs are instead provided for a standard case, requiring 120 minutes of staff time, and a case of intermediate difficulty, requiring 300 minutes of staff time.