These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Counting the costs of mammography screening: first year results from the Sydney study.
    Author: Gerard K, Salkeld G, Hall J.
    Journal: Med J Aust; 1990 May 07; 152(9):466, 469-71. PubMed ID: 2381337.
    Abstract:
    Population-based mammography screening is a highly specialized service which aims to improve the early detection of breast cancer. This is achieved through the installation of a dedicated mix of medical technology and professional skills. It is therefore a resource-intensive activity so the benefits foregone by deploying these resources for mammography screening ought to be determined to investigate the relative efficiency of such a commitment. This paper describes the costing methodology used in the evaluation of the Sydney Breast X-ray Programme and presents the health service costs for the first 12 months of operation. In the first year when attendance was under 5000 it cost $118.93 to screen a woman, $13,817 to detect a cancer and $18,720 to detect an impalpable cancer. However, costs are expected to fall in subsequent years as attendance reaches capacity level. The first screening round will detect prevalent cancers; costs will change with subsequent screening rounds as incident cancers are detected. We are cautious in extrapolating the costs of a national programme from these results. However, on the basis of our data and disregarding treatment costs, a national programme which screened 70% of all Australian women over the age of 45 years every two years would add between $60 million and $100 million to the national health bill each year.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]