title: A Program on Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis of α-Thalassemia in Mainland China: A Cost-Benefit Analysis.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine the cost effectiveness of a noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (PND) program for α-thalassemia (α-thal) using ultrasound scan. During a 5-year period, 1923 pregnancies at-risk for homozygous α(0)-thal were recruited into the noninvasive PND program. There were 1452 women who avoided invasive testing because of a normal ultrasound scan. The remaining 471 showed abnormal fetal ultrasonographic findings, and invasive testing was recommended. The overall cost of running the noninvasive PND program was US$213,383, while the cost of running the invasive program would have been US$554,810. The total savings were estimated at US$356,499 for women with an unaffected pregnancy with a net saving of US$246 per capita. This study demonstrated that it is cost effective to run a noninvasive PND program for α-thal in an area where the disease is prevalent, and therefore effectively avoiding an invasive test in unaffected pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Guangzhou Women & Children Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: b Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Guangzhou Women & Children Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dong-Zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Guangzhou Women & Children Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou , Guangdong , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000191:economics*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D017085:alpha-Thalassemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: cost effectiveness; prenatal diagnosis (PND); ultrasound; α0-Thalassemia (α-thal)