The cost-effectiveness of screening strategies for amblyopia: a preliminary report

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Health Economics

Background:

• Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is a leading cause of preventable vision impairment in children.
• Early detection and intervention are crucial for effective amblyopia treatment.
• The cost-effectiveness of different screening strategies remains a key consideration for healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the cost-effectiveness of five different amblyopia screening strategies for various age groups.
• To identify the most economically viable approaches for detecting amblyopia from a health insurance perspective.

Main Methods:

• A decision-analytical model was employed to evaluate screening strategies.
• The analysis considered the perspective of health insurance funds.
• Cost per detected case of amblyopia was a primary metric.

Main Results:

• Costs per detected amblyopia case ranged from 613 Euro to 1534 Euro.
• The most cost-effective strategies included screening high-risk children up to age one by ophthalmologists and screening all children up to age one by ophthalmologists.
• Screening high-risk children identified fewer cases (one-third) compared to screening all children but incurred lower average costs per detected case.

Conclusions:

• Targeted screening of high-risk infants by ophthalmologists offers a cost-effective approach to amblyopia detection.
• Universal screening of all infants up to age one by ophthalmologists is also a cost-effective strategy, albeit with higher overall costs per case.
• The choice between high-risk and universal screening depends on balancing detection rates with cost-efficiency for health insurers.