Molecular diagnostics: Technical and economic issues

The advent of nucleic acid based diagnostic tests such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has opened up the possibility of routine assays of unprecedented sensitivity and specificity. However, despite the continued publication of new assays in scientific journals, relatively few are yet in routine use. This paper examines the reasons for the slow application of molecular diagnostics and attempts to identify the problems that remain to be solved before the more widespread introduction of such tests can take place.