Cost-effectiveness of Early Treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity

Abstract

Early treatment of retinopathy of prematurity is both efficacious and economically desirable. Because of the high lifetime costs of severe visual impairment, the early treatment strategy provides long-term cost savings.

Cost and effects of risk factor guided screening strategies for retinopathy of prematurity for different treatment strategies

“…Several cost-effectiveness studies in retinopathy of prematurity are performed previously (Brown et al 1990;Javitt et al 1993;Lee et al 2001;Castillo-Riquelme et al 2004;Yanovitch et al 2006;Jackson et al 2008;Dunbar et al 2009;Kamholz et al 2009). Part of them compared different treatment methods (Brown et al 1990;Kamholz et al 2009) or screening methods (Castillo-Riquelme et al 2004;Jackson et al 2008), a single screening strategy with no treatment (Dunbar et al 2009) or different screening frequencies (Javitt et al 1993). Lee et al (2001) and Yanovitch et al (2006) compared different screening strategies, comparable with our analysis.…”

Economic evaluation alongside the Premature Infants in Need of Transfusion randomised controlled trial

“…Other recent analyses finding dominant interventions in neonatology include inhaled nitric oxide for the prevention of BPD,15 caffeine for apnoea of prematurity,16 and early treatment for ROP when examined over an infants' lifetime 17…”

The Economic Model of Retinopathy of Prematurity (EcROP) Screening and Treatment: Mexico and the United States

“…34,35 However, these studies report a positive ICER, indicating that dollars would have to be invested in return for QALYs gained. 34,35 On the contrary, EcROP data report a cost savings (based on the negative value of the ICER) in both the United States and Mexico. These are societal impacts from certain and now verified loss in parental or caregiver productivity plus the loss in future earnings of blind individuals.…”