On GP referral, Pacific Edge’s non-invasive CxBladder test is available to screen those with hematuria — blood in their urine — for bladder cancer.
Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand (HNZ) Southern expects the move will speed up its long urology wait lists by almost halving the number of people with hematuria sent to a specialist.
Pacific Edge commercial vice-president Brent Pownall said it was a step it had been advocating for years — ever since the Canterbury District Health Board started using the tests in early 2018, it had hoped their home region would follow suit, as other parts of the country had.
It had been frustrating to see southern urology services struggle knowing the difference the tests could make.
"It’s great that it’s finally available," he said.
GPs would use the test results as well as scans to decide whether to refer the patients through to urology specialists for further investigation.
Canterbury statistics showed 40-50% of patients did not actually need to be referred.
"Before, they would have all been referred through to urology ... the waiting time to be seen by a specialist in the secondary care system is lengthy.
"A whole bunch of patients get an early answer and peace of mind that they don’t have bladder cancer, and therefore don’t, so to speak, clog up the system."
Pacific Edge also supplied Cxbladder tests to the United States, but they were "not considered medically reasonable and necessary" by the United States Medicare administrator last month.
Pacific Edge defended the clinical value of the tests, and the issue was ongoing.
Mr Pownall said in the context of the business, the South was not especially large and profit had not been the driving force.
"We work in Dunedin ... it seems logical that the great technology be made available to people in our own region, on our doorstep."
Pacific Edge had reached an agreement with HNZ Southern to supply the tests last year, and the roll-out began late last month.
Feedback from GPs had been positive.
"It’s really only just started, but the referrals are starting to come in."
Last month HNZ Southern said there was "considerable pressure" on its urology services, and staff shortages meant more operations were being outsourced to private providers in Dunedin, Christchurch, Invercargill, and Auckland.
At the time there were 581 patients on the first specialist assessment waiting list, while 402 patients were waiting for a follow-up appointment.
HNZ Southern hospital and specialist services interim leader Hamish Brown said on Monday the tests were one of many model-of-care changes the Dunedin urology department was working on to reduce wait times.
"We are very pleased to have the new pathway in action."
A 45% reduction in referrals for unspecified hematuria was expected.
"This would free up around 120 first specialist appointments per year as well as nursing and consultant time that would have been spent triaging, reviewing test results, and processing outcomes."
The test had not been introduced until recently because funding had to be sourced and the test shown to be cost-effective, he said.
Staff also needed to be consulted and educated about it.
A review in October would provide data on patient use.
