Table 2

Total variable costs at each node of the decision tree (in bold) and their constituent inputs

Item	Baseline	Unit	Minimum	Maximum	Distribution*	Source†	Comment
*Distributions used in the sensitivity analysis. Uniform distributions were used to represent a large degree of uncertainty (any value over the range selected randomly); triangular distributions were used when the most likely value was known (the value drawn for each simulation was more likely to be closer to the mean value).
†A, data from interview with primary research nurses in Portsmouth and Wirral; B, preliminary pilot expenses provided by the Department of Health, Economics and Operational Research Division; C, pilot database.
‡Patient related minute.
§Mid-scale grade F nurse.
Overall: personnel
Receptionist	0.13	£/Minute				Assumption
GP	1.01	£/Minute‡				Ref 11
Practice nurse/health adviser§	0.42	£/Minute‡				Ref 11, 14
Medical GUM Consultant	1.40	£/Minute‡				Ref 11, 14
(1) Accepting the test	3.77	£/Episode	1.50	5.42
Information leaflet	0.31	£/Item				A	Cost inflated to £UK at 2001 rates
Receptionist time	1.8	Minute	0.5	3	Uniform	A	Screening selection and invitation
GP/nurse time to discuss screening	4.5	Minute	2	7	Triangular	A	Depends on setting/clinician
% GP time compared to nurse time	50	%	0	100	Uniform	Assumption
(2) Giving a sample	0.65	£/Episode
Sample container	0.50	£/Item				B	Cost inflated to £UK at 2001 rates
Request form	0.15	£/Item				B	Cost inflated to £UK at 2001 rates
(3) Testing and final diagnosis	12.97	£/Episode	10.71	15.25			Cost inflated to £UK at 2001 rates
LCR test materials and personnel	11.81	£/Item	10.49	13.14	Uniform	B	Average of both sites, cost inflated to £UK at 2001 rates
Health adviser time to notify patient	2.8	Minute	0.5	5	Uniform	A
(4) Treatment	7.46	£/Episode
Azithromycin	7.33	£/Treatment				Ref 17	Recommended dosage¹⁷
Doxycycline	4.98	£/Treatment				Ref 17	Recommended dosage¹⁷
Health adviser time for treatment	5	Minute				A	Partner notification not included
% receiving azithromycin compared to doxycycline	15.6	%	0	100	Triangular	C
(5) Partners reported	1.06	£/Episode	0.85	1.27
Health adviser time for eliciting partner information	2.5	Minute	2	3	Uniform	A
(6) Partners contacted	0.01	£/Partner episode	0.00	0.13
Health adviser time to contact partner	1	Minute	0	10	Triangular	A
% partners contacted by health adviser compared to patient contacted	3	%				C
(7) Partner attendance and treatment	14.30	£/Partner episode	7.16	10.74
Time for partner clinic visit	12.5	Minute	10	15	Uniform	A
% partners seen by health adviser compared to GUM consultant	70	%	40	100	Uniform	Assumption
(8) Partner tested	11.81	£/Partner episode	10.49	13.14	Uniform	B	See No 3 above.