title: Cost-effectiveness of audiometric screening of first-year preparatory pupils in Dhofar Region, Oman.
abstract: Audiometric screening was conducted in Dhofar region to study the magnitude of ear problems and cost-effectiveness of screening first-year preparatory-school children in Oman. None of the 1894 pupils had otitis media with effusion or sensory neuronal hearing loss. Six children (0.32%) had impacted wax, 4 (0.21%) chronic suppurative otitis media and 2 (0.11%) dry perforation of eardrum. In all, 14 children (0.74%) with suspected hearing impairment were referred to a specialist but only 2 attended. Physicians and nurses spent 8-10 minutes for ear examination per child for a yield of less than 1%. The screening expenditure was US$ 5 per pupil. As the prevalence of serious ear conditions was low, we conclude that expanding the audiometric screening of schoolchildren to first-year preparatory pupils is not cost-effective.
authors.affiliation: School Health Services, Ministry of Health, Dhofar Region, Oman.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aasham
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khandekar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khabori
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Helmi
mesh_terms: D001299:Audiometry / Q000191:economics*; D002571:Cerumen; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009850:Oman / Q000453:epidemiology; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012572:School Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology