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Cost of Myopia Correction: A Systematic Review
Li Lian Foo1,2,3, Carla Lanca2,4,5, Chee Wai Wong1,2,3
1Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore.
Frontiers in Medicine
|December 20, 2021
Summary
The global cost of myopia correction is significant, with contact lenses being the most expensive option. Understanding these costs is crucial for healthcare resource allocation and future cost-benefit analyses.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Health Economics
Background:
- Myopia is a leading cause of global visual impairment with increasing prevalence.
- The economic burden and treatment costs of myopia remain unclear, hindering resource allocation and healthcare policy.
- Understanding myopia correction costs is essential for cost-benefit analyses and integrating eye care into universal health coverage (UHC).
Approach:
- A systematic review was conducted to determine the economic costs associated with myopia correction.
- The review focused on direct and indirect costs, though direct costs predominated.
- Data from the USA, Iran, and Singapore were analyzed for prevalence-based direct costs.
Key Points:
- Annual prevalence-based direct costs for myopia correction varied significantly by country: $14-26 (USA), $56 (Iran), and $199 (Singapore) per capita.
- Annual direct costs for myopia correction methods: contact lenses ($198.30–$378.10), spectacles ($342.50), and refractive surgery ($19.10).
- Contact lenses represent the most expensive myopia correction option.
Conclusions:
- Myopia correction incurs substantial costs, particularly on a national scale due to high prevalence.
- Without interventions, the economic burden of myopia is projected to increase globally.
- Further research with more homogenous cost data is needed for a comprehensive understanding of global myopia economic costs.
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