Cost-effectiveness of a school-based Tay-Sachs and cystic fibrosis genetic carrier screening program.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the cost-effectiveness of school-based multi-disease genetic carrier screening.


METHODS
Decision analysis of the cost-effectiveness of a school-based Tay-Sachs disease and cystic fibrosis genetic carrier screening program, relative to no screening. Data relating to ethnicity profile, test-accepting behavior, and screening program cost were sourced from an existing program in Sydney, Australia.


RESULTS
Compared to no screening, the incremental cost-effectiveness of the screening program is A dollar 5,834 per additional carrier detected. This cost-effectiveness ratio is most sensitive to changes in genetic test accuracy, and the cost of laboratory assays. The results imply a cost per affected birth avoided of approximately A dollar 530,000 (approximately US dollar 371,000).


CONCLUSIONS
This preconceptional genetic carrier screening program offers comparable cost-effectiveness to prenatal screening programs for cystic fibrosis.
Warren
Emma
E
Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE), University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Anderson
Rob
R
Proos
Anné L
AL
Burnett
Leslie B
LB
Barlow-Stewart
Kris
K
Hall
Jane
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics*; D006580:Genetic Carrier Screening; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007585:Jews / Q000235:genetics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012574:Schools; D013661:Tay-Sachs Disease / Q000235:genetics*