Costs of interventions for visual impairment.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the economic costs of vision loss in Australia and assess the impact of a costed intervention package to prevent avoidable vision loss.


METHODS
Existing Australian population-based data on prevalence and causes of visual impairment were used, and costs were calculated from published data for the five main causes of visual impairment.


METHODS
The cost of vision loss in Australia was determined from the weighted prevalence of visual impairment; unpublished data on the indirect costs of vision; and national databases on health care costs and other economic data. A costed intervention package was developed and its economic impact modeled. Outcome measures were total costs and savings from the interventions.


RESULTS
The intervention package would cost AU$188.8 million to implement in its first year but would bring a net return of AU$163.1 million in direct costs in the first year and an overall savings to the country of AU$911.1 million, a 4.8-fold return on investment.


CONCLUSIONS
Three-quarters of vision loss is avoidable, and many eye care interventions are cost effective. Even a developed economy cannot afford avoidable vision loss. Priority needs to be given to the prevention and treatment of avoidable vision loss.
Taylor
Hugh R
HR
Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Blindness, East Melbourne Victoria, Australia. h.taylor@unimelb.edu.au <h.taylor@unimelb.edu.au>
Pezzullo
M Lynne
ML
Nesbitt
Sarah J
SJ
Keeffe
Jill E
JE
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000191:economics; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities