A cost-benefit analysis of vision screening methods for preschoolers and school-age children.

摘要

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine costs and benefits of visual acuity screening (VAS) or photoscreening (PS) in children. METHODS: A societal-perspective, decision-analytic model compared VAS and PS conducted in three age groups: children 6 to 18 months, 3 to 4 years, and 7 to 8 years old. Literature estimates of sensitivity, specificity, and prevalence were used. Cost estimates and referral rates for surgical treatment were derived from a managed care database and the United States Social Security Administration. RESULTS: All the benefit-to-cost ratios exceeded 1.0, meaning that all screening programs studied had benefits that exceeded the cost of screening. The total net benefit was highest for PS in children of 3 to 4 years of age (