Diagnostics Intervention: Reframing the AMR Response Through Value and Access

Why antimicrobial resistance is as much a health‑system challenge as a clinical one

People often view antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as just a scientific or clinical problem, but it is also a challenge for the entire health system. It affects patient outcomes, hospital efficiency, and the long-term sustainability of healthcare. Tackling both sides makes our response to AMR stronger.

At Cepheid, I lead the Value and Access team. We show the clinical and economic benefits of our molecular diagnostics by collecting evidence and working with payers and policymakers to support fair coverage and policy decisions. Through this work, I have learned that diagnostics are essential in fighting antimicrobial resistance because they help people make better choices and strengthen health systems.

From uncertainty to impact: how diagnostics strengthen decisions and systems

Looking at the bigger picture, AMR is an urgent problem. It leads to worse patient outcomes, including deaths that could have been prevented, and puts a strain on healthcare resources. This can mean longer hospital stays, unnecessary isolation, and more pressure on limited hospital beds. Good strategy and health policy are based on a simple idea: access means giving people better care and making sure everyone understands the value of effective treatments. That is why I am careful about how diagnostics fit into the healthcare system.

Diagnostics should not be seen as just a cost. They are an important part of treatment.

When clinicians receive rapid, actionable results, often within an hour, they can reduce uncertainty and act confidently. This speed enables earlier isolation, effective cohorting, and more efficient use of hospital resources. It also promotes appropriate antibiotic use, which is central to upstream AMR prevention and management. By making transmission visible sooner, they enable prevention over reaction. With better prevention, downstream issues such as outbreaks and prolonged hospitalizations can be reduced.

Diagnostics offer value beyond just helping doctors make decisions. The main benefit is better patient care, but there are also economic gains. Faster treatment means shorter hospital stays, fewer days in beds, and less strain on the healthcare system. Even small improvements in timing can make a real difference for both patients and health systems.

From collaboration to implementation

Our commitment to collaboration led Cepheid to become the first diagnostics company to partner with the Fleming Initiative.

The Initiative’s scientific leadership, led by Dr. Allison Holmes, and its strong focus on policy make this partnership even stronger. I fully support Professor Lord Ara Darzi’s goal of achieving no antibiotic prescriptions without a diagnosis by 2030, which closely aligns with what we do at Cepheid.

Equity and access are especially important in low- and middle-income countries. To be effective, AMR strategies in these places need to focus on diagnostics and be adapted to local needs. This means knowing where patients first go for care, who decides on treatments, and how labs and referral systems work.

Financing diagnostics to deliver prevention at scale

How we fund diagnostics matters just as much. There needs to be sustainable financing so that results can guide treatment and infection control decisions right away. Without this, even the best technology cannot reach its full potential.

As countries begin implementing their AMR plans, I recommend prioritizing diagnostics in areas such as respiratory infections, where antibiotic choices have the greatest impact on outcomes, resistance, and deaths. Diagnostics should be a routine part of care to support responsible antibiotic use, infection prevention, and ongoing monitoring. Policymakers should treat diagnostics and screening as essential tools for preventing infections, along with handwashing and isolation. To build on this approach, I also think we must update policy goals by specifically recommending increased efforts to reduce transmission, actively stop outbreaks, and lower healthcare-associated infection rates through targeted prevention strategies.

Making diagnostics foundational to prevention, policy, and the AMR response

In my work, whether through Cepheid’s partnership with the Fleming Initiative, our role in the Diagnostics Consortium on AMR, or working with governments, the message is clear: diagnostics should never be an afterthought. I advise making diagnostics a central part of care pathways, supporting them along with responsible antibiotic use and infection prevention, and ensuring they are valued and included in AMR policies. Making diagnostics a foundation improves efficiency and resilience and helps stop resistance before it begins.