Operationalization of rapid molecular test coverage for tuberculosis in different international contexts: a scoping review

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: To map studies on the coverage of the rapid molecular test for tuberculosis in different international contexts. Method: A scoping review conducted according to the PRISMA-ScR recommendations, with searches in the MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, LILACS, and BDTD databases, covering the period from 2011 to 2025. Results: The 20 included studies revealed conceptual heterogeneity in the operationalization of coverage, ranging from proportions of testing in specific population groups to indicators of equipment availability and geographic accessibility, with no standardization across countries and contexts. Values ranged from less than 1% to approximately 80%, with marked differences across countries, target populations, and analyzed periods. Socioeconomic, structural, financial, and facility-access challenges hinder the use of the test. Conclusion: Test coverage varies across countries and contexts, limited by structural and financial barriers and by the lack of conceptual and methodological standardization in its measurement. Expanding and monitoring coverage in a comparable way requires governmental commitment, decentralization, and the adoption of uniform criteria aligned with World Health Organization guidelines.