When you’re hiring healthcare staff, especially in home care, tuberculosis (TB) testing is important and strongly recommended by the CDC. Whether your candidate needs a QuantiFERON blood test or a PPD skin test, both options meet screening requirements. It’s just a matter of what works best for your team and workflow.
At Mobile Health, we offer both TB tests with convenient scheduling, and nationwide coverage. Here’s a breakdown of the benefits of each testing method to help you make the best choice for your candidates and compliance needs.
Benefits of the PPD Skin Test
The PPD test (Purified Protein Derivative) is a time-tested method that many employers are familiar with. It’s widely accepted and often used for initial baseline testing, especially where required by state or facility policy.
Key advantages of PPD Skin Testing
- Widely recognized and accepted across many healthcare settings
- Cost-effective for large-scale testing when follow-ups are managed well
- Ideal for employers who already have workflows in place to manage the second visit for result readings
- Available at Mobile Health clinics nationwide
A PPD involves an initial skin injection and a return visit within 48 to 72 hours for the reading. This means clearance can take a week or more. Also, if the candidate or employee misses the second appointment within the 48–72-hour window, the test needs to be repeated… at your expense. If they’ve received the BCG TB vaccine, a PPD skin test can give a false positive.
Benefits of the QuantiFERON TB Blood Test
The QuantiFERON test offers a streamlined, lab-based alternative to the traditional skin test. It’s especially useful when fast onboarding or reduced appointment logistics are a priority.
Why employers choose QuantiFERON:
- Only one appointment is needed with no follow-up visit
- Results are available in 48 to 72 hours
- Lab-based accuracy with fewer false positives
- Ideal for mobile or hard-to-schedule candidates
- Preferred by many healthcare workers and hiring teams
- Offered at a cost similar to PPD testing at Mobile Health
Because QuantiFERON uses a blood sample rather than a skin reaction, it eliminates the risk of missed follow-ups and repeat testing. For employers needing to move quickly, this is often the most efficient employee TB testing solution.
Choosing the Right TB Test for Your Team
When deciding between the QuantiFERON blood test and the PPD skin test, it’s important to consider how each option fits into your onboarding process, compliance requirements, and candidate availability.
Both tests are CDC-approved and effective, but one may be a better fit based on how your team operates.
PPD testing may be right for employers if:
- Your candidates are local and available for multiple visits
- Your organization follows long-standing policies that specifically require the skin test
- You already have internal processes in place to track and manage follow-up appointments
Choose the QuantiFERON test if:
- You need a faster, one-visit solution to reduce delays
- Your candidates are difficult to schedule or often miss follow-ups
- You are looking to streamline onboarding and minimize repeat testing
- You want higher accuracy and fewer false positives
- You prefer a lab-based test that removes subjectivity from the results
In fast-moving industries like home care, where time to placement matters, the QuantiFERON test helps avoid unnecessary delays. For employers with structured onboarding systems already built around follow-up visits, the PPD may still be a practical option.
At Mobile Health, we help employers weigh these factors every day. Our team can recommend the most efficient option based on your workflows, budget, and compliance needs. And since we offer both tests at clinic locations across the country, you can mix and match based on what works best for each hire.
Ready to Simplify Your TB Testing Process?
Whether you choose the PPD skin test or the QuantiFERON blood test, Mobile Health is here to support your team with fast, reliable, and compliant TB testing solutions. Contact us to get started.
