Applying a mixed-integer program to model re-screening women who test positive for C. trachomatis infection

We proposed a mixed-integer program to model the management of C. trachomatis infections in women visiting publicly funded family planning clinics. We intended to maximize the number of infected women cured of C. trachomatis infections. The model incorporated screening, re-screening, and treatment options for three age groups with respective age-specific C. trachomatis infection and re-infection rates, two possible test assays, and two possible treatments. Our results showed the total budget had a great impact on the optimal strategy incorporating screening coverage, test selection, and treatment. At any budget level, the strategy that used a relatively small per-patient budget increase to re-screen all women who tested positive 6 months earlier always resulted in curing more infected women and more cost-saving than the strategy that was optimal under the condition of not including a re-screening option.