Costs and benefits of cervical screening. II. Is it worthwhile reducing the screening interval from 5 to 3 years?
A reduction in screening interval from 5 years to 3 years would greatly increase the cost of the programme, but would save few extra lives. The cost per life saved would be around 250,000 Pounds at 1995 prices, or around 8000 Pounds per life per year saved. There would in addition be human costs for the women screened. The opportunity cost of reducing the interval may be too great, since it is likely that the Health Service would achieve greater health benefits by investing the funds in other health care activities.
Waugh
N
N
Grampian Health Board, Aberdeen, UK.
Robertson
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*