Systematic screening for diabetic eye disease is cost effective

Screening programmes for diabetic eye diseases have become well established in recent years. However, a debate remains over the best way for a screening programme to be implemented. Using data from the Liverpool diabetic eye study James et al show that a systematic screening programme for diabetic eye disease detects more cases of eye disease at a lower cost per case than opportunistic screening (p 1627). This finding remained true for all possible prevalences of the disease and for all sensitivities of opportunistic screening below 95%. Replacing opportunistic with systematic screening would greatly increase the number of cases detected for a small increase in cost.

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Relevant Article

Cost effectiveness analysis of screening for sight threatening diabetic eye disease

Marilyn James, David A Turner, Deborah M Broadbent, Jiten Vora, and Simon P Harding
BMJ 2000 320: 1627-1631. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]