A cost-effectiveness study on a case-finding program of tuberculosis through screening those suspects with chronic cough symptoms in the rich rural areas.
- Author:
Wei-bing WANG
1
;
Fa-di WANG
;
Biao XU
;
Jian-fu ZHU
;
Wei SHEN
;
Xi-rong XIAO
;
Qing-wu JIANG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH: China; Chronic Disease; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Cough; etiology; Family Characteristics; Humans; Mass Screening; economics; Radiography, Thoracic; Rural Health; Sputum; microbiology; Tuberculosis; complications; diagnosis
- From: Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2006;27(10):857-860
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVETo study the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of a case-finding program on tuberculosis (TB) in richer rural areas.
METHODSScreening was implemented every three months for a total period of 9 months, in rural areas with high case notification rates. Three villages, each with ten thousand population, were selected to carry out a household screening program. A suspect was defined as who coughed for more than 3 weeks. The suspect was then referred to further diagnosis in county TB dispensary to undergo chest X-ray and sputum test.
RESULTSOf the 86,168 community population screened, 26 TB patients were identified with 7 of them were smear positive. The ratio of effectiveness vs. cost decreased on the second but slightly increased on the third screening program. The direct costs for the 3 screening programs were 6,312,397 and 1637 RMB respectively. Of total direct cost, 5.9% was paid by TB patients, whereas 35.9% was through financing of the county itself.
CONCLUSIONThe community household screening program could achieve higher case detection rate than passive case-finding approach which could be used in richer areas with low case detection rate in China.
