Related Experiment Videos
Costing a community based screening programme for the detection of glaucoma.
S J Jones1, S A Vernon, L Cater
1Dept of General Practice, University Hospital, Nottingham.
Eye (London, England)
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Community screening for glaucoma in individuals aged 50 and over is cost-effective. The program detected over twice the number of glaucoma cases compared to screening high-risk groups, at a cost of 311 pounds per case.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Public Health
- Health Economics
Background:
- Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
- Early detection through community screening programs is crucial for preventing vision loss.
- Estimating the cost-effectiveness of screening interventions is vital for resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To calculate the cost of detecting glaucoma in a community-based screening program.
- To compare the cost-effectiveness of this program with alternative screening strategies.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study was conducted on a population aged 50 and over.
- Costs included an algorithmically based screening program and hospital assessment of true/false positives.
- Cost per screen and cost per case detected were estimated.
Main Results:
- The estimated cost per screen was 3.35 pounds.
- The total cost per detected case of glaucoma was 311 pounds.
- This approach detected over twice the number of occult glaucoma cases compared to screening high-risk groups.
Conclusions:
- Community-based glaucoma screening for individuals aged 50 and over is a cost-effective strategy.
- The program offers a favorable comparison to paying optometrists for high-risk group screening.
- This method significantly increases the detection rate of occult glaucoma.