Cost-effective evaluation of the glaucoma suspect.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health

Background:

• The number of glaucoma patients is projected to rise due to an aging population.
• Efficient healthcare resource allocation is necessary for managing glaucoma suspects to advanced disease.
• This review focuses on the cost-effective management strategies for glaucoma suspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review cost-effective management strategies for glaucoma suspects.
• To identify methods for limiting direct and indirect costs associated with glaucoma care.
• To explore the role of risk stratification in optimizing glaucoma suspect management.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on glaucoma suspect management.
• Analysis of cost components in glaucoma care, including medications and clinical evaluations.
• Evaluation of diagnostic modalities for early disease detection and progression monitoring.

Main Results:

• Medications represent the largest cost in managing glaucoma suspects; clinical evaluation costs are stable.
• Early recognition of glaucoma limits both direct and indirect healthcare costs.
• Newer structural imaging techniques show predictive value comparable to stereo disk photography for early progression.

Conclusions:

• Preventing early disease progression is key to limiting overall glaucoma management costs.
• Targeting intraocular pressure lowering therapy to high-risk glaucoma suspects or those with early disease can minimize expenses.
• The optimal timing for initiating intraocular pressure lowering therapy remains uncertain due to unknown individual progression rates to blindness.