Estimating personal costs incurred by a woman participating in mammography screening in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

Estimating time and transportation costs associated with lung cancer screening and diagnostic lung procedures in Taiwan: a cross-sectional survey in a medical centre

OBJECTIVES

Earlier research has evaluated the non-medical costs after lung cancer diagnosis. This study estimated the time costs and transportation costs associated with low-dose CT (LDCT) screening and diagnostic lung procedures in Taiwan.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

A tertiary referral medical centre.

PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS

The study participants were individuals aged 50-80 years who underwent LDCT screening or diagnostic lung procedures between 2021 and 2022. Participants completed a questionnaire including items on time spent on receiving care, time spent on travel and its cost and time taken off from work by the participant and any accompanying caregiver.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Time costs were valued using the age- and sex-specific average daily wage for employed participants/caregivers. Costs of informal healthcare sector consisted of time cost of the participant, transportation cost and time cost of the caregiver.

RESULTS

A total of 209 participants who underwent LDCT screening (n=84) or non-surgical (n=12) or surgical (n=113) diagnostic lung procedures for the first time were enrolled. Considering the purchasing power parity, the average costs of informal healthcare sector were US$126.4 (95% CI 101.6 to 151.2), US$290.7 (95% CI 106.9 to 474.5) and US$749.8 (95% CI 567.3 to 932.4), respectively, for LDCT screening, non-surgical procedures and surgical procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

This study estimated time and transportation costs associated with LDCT screening and diagnostic lung procedures, which could be used for future analysis of cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening in Taiwan.

Economics of public health programs for underserved populations: a review of economic analysis of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of economic analysis methods used in estimating the costs and benefits of public health programs and systematically review the application of these methods to the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP).

METHODS

Published literature on economic analyses of the NBCCEDP was systematically reviewed. The Consensus on Health Economic Criteria checklist was used to assess methodological quality of the included studies.

RESULTS

Methods available for economic analysis of public health programs include program cost, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, cost-benefit analysis, and budget impact analysis. Of these, program cost analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-utility analysis have been applied to the NBCCEDP in previously published literature.

CONCLUSION

While there have been multiple program cost analyses, there are relatively fewer cost-effectiveness and cost-utility studies and no cost-benefit and budget impact analysis studies to evaluate the NBCCEDP. Addressing these gaps will inform implementation of effective public health programs with equitable resource allocation to all population subgroups.

Mammograms on-the-go-predictors of repeat visits to mobile mammography vans in St Louis, Missouri, USA: a case-control study

OBJECTIVES

Among women, breast cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer and second most common cause of cancer-related death. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which women use mobile mammography vans for breast cancer screening and what factors are associated with repeat visits to these vans.

DESIGN

A case-control study. Cases are women who had a repeat visit to the mammography van. (n=2134).

PARTICIPANTS

Women who received a mammogram as part of Siteman Cancer Center's Breast Health Outreach Program responded to surveys and provided access to their clinical records (N=8450). Only visits from 2006 to 2014 to the mammography van were included.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome is having a repeat visit to the mammography van. Among the participants, 25.3% (N=2134) had multiple visits to the mobile mammography van. Data were analysed using χ(2) tests, logistic regression and negative binomial regression.

RESULTS

Women who were aged 50-65, uninsured, or African-American had higher odds of a repeat visit to the mobile mammography van compared with women who were aged 40-50, insured, or Caucasian (OR=1.135, 95% CI 1.013 to 1.271; OR=1.302, 95% CI 1.146 to 1.479; OR=1.281, 95% CI 1.125 to 1.457), respectively. However, the odds of having a repeat visit to the van were lower among women who reported a rural ZIP code or were unemployed compared with women who provided a suburban ZIP code or were employed (OR=0.503, 95% CI 0.411 to 0.616; OR=.868, 95% CI 0.774 to 0.972), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study has identified key characteristics of women who are either more or less likely to use mobile mammography vans as their primary source of medical care for breast cancer screening and have repeat visits.

National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program data validation project

BACKGROUND

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the quality of national data generated by the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP); to assess variables collected through the program that are appropriate to use for program management, evaluation, and data analysis; and to identify potential data-quality issues.

METHODS

Information was abstracted randomly from 5603 medical records selected from 6 NBCCEDP-funded state programs, and 76 categorical variables and 11 text-based breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic variables were collected. Concordance was estimated between abstracted data and the data collected by the NBCCEDP. Overall and outcome-specific concordance was calculated for each of the key variables. Four screening performance measures also were estimated by comparing the program data with the abstracted data.

RESULTS

Basic measures of program outcomes, such as the percentage of women with cancer or with abnormal screening tests, had a high concordance rate. Variables with poor or inconsistent concordance included reported breast symptoms, receipt of fine-needle aspiration, and receipt of colposcopy with biopsy.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall conclusion from this comprehensive validation project of the NBCCEDP is that, with few exceptions, the data collected from individual program sites and reported to the CDC are valid and consistent with sociodemographic and clinical data within medical records.

Cost of services provided by the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program

BACKGROUND

The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) is the largest cancer screening program for low-income women in the United States. This study updates previous estimates of the costs of delivering preventive cancer screening services in the NBCCEDP.

METHODS

We developed a standardized web-based cost-assessment tool to collect annual activity-based cost data on screening for breast and cervical cancer in the NBCCEDP. Data were collected from 63 of the 66 programs that received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the 2006/2007 fiscal year. We used these data to calculate costs of delivering preventive public health services in the program.

RESULTS

We estimated the total cost of all NBCCEDP services to be $296 (standard deviation [SD], $123) per woman served (including the estimated value of in-kind donations, which constituted approximately 15% of this total estimated cost). The estimated cost of screening and diagnostic services was $145 (SD, $38) per women served, which represented 57.7% of the total cost excluding the value of in-kind donations. Including the value of in-kind donations, the weighted mean cost of screening a woman for breast cancer was $110 with an office visit and $88 without, the weighted mean cost of a diagnostic procedure was $401, and the weighted mean cost per breast cancer detected was $35,480. For cervical cancer, the corresponding cost estimates were $61, $21, $415, and $18,995, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

These NBCCEDP cost estimates may help policy makers in planning and implementing future costs for various potential changes to the program.

Prevention of aromatase inhibitor-induced bone loss with alendronate in postmenopausal women: The BATMAN Trial

Postmenopausal women on aromatase inhibitors (AI) are at risk of aromatase inhibitor-associated bone loss (AIBL) and fractures. In 2005 Osteoporosis Australia proposed an algorithm for bisphosphonate intervention. Three hundred and three postmenopausal women with early breast cancer (EBC) were enrolled (osteoporotic, n=25; osteopaenic, n=146; normal bone mineral density (BMD), n=126). Weekly alendronate (70 mg) treatment efficacy as triggered by the algorithm in preventing bone loss was evaluated. All patients received anastrozole (1 mg daily), calcium and vitamin D.

RESULTS

All osteoporotic patients received alendronate at baseline. Eleven out of the 146 (7.5%) osteopaenic patients commenced alendronate within 18 months of participation and eleven commenced after. One hundred and twenty four out of the 146 (84.9%) osteopaenic patients and all 126 with normal baseline BMD did not trigger the algorithm. At three years, lumbar spine mean BMD increased (15.6%, p<0.01) in the osteoporotic group. BMD in the osteopaenic group with early intervention significantly increased at three years (6.3%, p=0.02). No significant change was seen in the late intervention group. No change was observed in those with osteopaenia without alendronate. There was a significant drop in lumbar spine (-5.4%) and hip (-4.5%) mean BMD, in the normal BMD group, none of whom received alendronate. Fracture data will be presented.

CONCLUSION

In postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive EBC, BMD improved over time when a bisphosphonate is administered with anastrozole in osteoporotic patients using an osteoporosis schedule. Subjects with normal baseline BMD experienced the greatest BMD loss, although none became osteoporotic.

Empirical evidence of the continuing improvement in cost efficiency of an endoscopic surveillance programme for gastric cancer in Singapore from 2004 to 2010

Background

Endoscopic surveillance has been proven effective in prolonging the survival of gastric cancer (GC) patients. However, there is limited evidence on the cost efficiency of delivering this intervention, especially on a national level in spite of cost efficiency being a major determinant of the actual cost-effectiveness of a cancer prevention programme. The Singapore Gastric Cancer Epidemiology Clinical and Genetic Programme (GCEP) is a demonstration project offering scheduled endoscopy to the Chinese population aged 50 years or older in Singapore. By assessing the cost efficiency of the GCEP, this study aimed to provide empirical evidence on the cost structure and mechanisms underlying cost generation in conducting GC surveillance, thus informing resource allocation and programme budgeting for the Singapore government.

Methods

From a societal perspective, we reported on the direct cost (resource consumption) of conducting endoscopic surveillance through the GCEP network. We retrospectively collected individual-level data of 216 subjects recruited at the National University Hospital, Singapore from 01/04/2004 to 31/10/2010. The Overall Cost, Clinical Cost, GCEP Cost and Personal Cost incurred in serving one subject was computed and discounted as 2004 US dollar (US$) per capita for every year. The Generalized Estimation Equation (GEE) was used to model the data.

Results

All cost indices continuously declined over the 6.5-year costing period. For the total sample, Overall Cost, Clinical Cost, GCEP Cost and Personal Cost declined by 42.3%, 54.1%, 30% and 25.7% respectively. This downward trend existed for age and gender subgroups and the high risk group only with cost reductions varying between 3.5% and 58.4%. The GEE models confirmed statistical significance of the downward trend and of its association with risk profile, where the moderate risk group had cost indices at most 77% of the high risk group.

Conclusions

Our study offered empirical evidence of improved cost efficiency of a surveillance programme for GC in the early phase of programme implementation. Mechanisms such as economies of scale and self-learning were found to be involved in the cost reduction. Our findings highlighted the importance of assessing the cost efficiency and offered valuable insights for future programme budgeting and policy making.

Retail venue based screening mammography: assessment of women's preferences

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to explore women's interest and preferences in undergoing screening mammography in a retail health care setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Self-administered surveys were distributed to 400 mammography patients in May to June 2009. All of the women who were asked were eligible for screening (age >40 years, no abnormal mammographic findings in the recent past). Three hundred eighty-six screening-eligible women filled out and returned the self-administered survey.

RESULTS

The average respondent age was 57 years. Three hundred ten of the patients (80.3%) had college or postgraduate educations. Two hundred three (52.6%) reported annual incomes >$60,000. Two hundred forty-one respondents (62.4%) had been undergoing screening mammography for >10 years, while this was the first examination for eight patients (2%). More than half of the patients (n = 215 [55.7%]) affirmed their interest in undergoing annual screening mammography in a private area within a retail shopping facility. Most preferred a pharmacy (77%) over Wal-Mart or a grocery store. Appealing factors about a retail setting were proximity to home (90%), free parking (62%), and operating hours (48.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

There is interest among women in undergoing screening mammography at retail health care clinics, preferably pharmacies. The provision of services at a convenient location can increase adherence to guidelines for screening mammography.

Induced cardiovascular procedural costs and resource consumption patterns after coronary artery calcium screening: results from the EISNER (Early Identification of Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Noninvasive Imaging Research) study

OBJECTIVES

We prospectively evaluated procedural costs and resource consumption patterns in the EISNER (Early Identification of Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Noninvasive Imaging Research) study after coronary calcium (CAC) measurements.

BACKGROUND

Controversy surrounds expansion of cardiovascular disease (CVD) screening to include atherosclerosis imaging as the result of concern whether induced costs will outweigh any benefit.

METHODS

Detailed risk factor and CAC measurements with 4-year follow-up for CVD death or myocardial infarction and procedures were performed. Costs were estimated with the use of Medicare reimbursement rates (discounted and inflation corrected). Cox survival analysis was used to estimate procedures and events.

RESULTS

CAC scores varied widely but were skewed toward low scores with 56.7% of screened subjects having CAC scores<or=10 and only 8.2% having CAC scores>or=400. Noninvasive testing was infrequent and medical costs were low among subjects with low CAC scores, both rising progressively with increasing CAC scores (p<0.001), particularly in the 31 (2.2% of subjects) that had CAC scores>or=1,000. Similarly, invasive coronary angiography rose progressively with increasing scores (p<0.001) but occurred exclusively among subjects first undergoing noninvasive testing and overall, was performed in only 19.4% of subjects with CAC scores>or=1,000.

CONCLUSIONS

CAC scanning is associated with a marked differential in downstream frequency of medical tests and costs, ranging from a very low frequency of testing and invasive procedures among a predominantly large percentage of subjects with low CAC scores, to selectively concentrated testing and procedures among a small number of subjects with CAC scores>400. Thus, CAC scanning appears to foster efficient selective testing patterns among asymptomatic individuals at risk for CVD.