A population-level post-screening treatment cost framework to help inform vision screening choices for children under the age of seven

CONCLUSIONS: All children should be screened for amblyopia and low vision before the age of 6. Very early detection of amblyopia refractive risk factors may prevent or mitigate amblyopia for some affected children, but population-level outcomes from a single high-quality VA screening at 4-5 years can also be very good. Total patient-journey costs incurred by earlier detection and treatment are much higher than if screening is carried out later because younger children need more professional input before discharge, so early screening is less cost-effective in the long term. Population coverage, local healthcare models, local case-mix, public health awareness, training, data monitoring and audit are critical factors to consider when planning, evaluating, or changing any screening programme.PMID:37870065 | DOI:10.1080/09273972.2023.2268128
Source: Strabismus - Category: Research Authors: Source Type: research