Newborn Screening in the Philippines began as a small pilot project in Manila in 1996 and has expanded to a nationwide program screening for 5 conditions today. Along the way, professional, political and public support has increased. As a result, a national law requiring the offering of screening to all newborns was put into place. The Department of Health (DOH) is actively providing follow-up support, and the National Institutes of Health - University of the Philippines Manila (NIH) provides laboratory and technical expertise. Expansion has evolved to the point that there are now two DOH accredited screening laboratories with further expansion anticipated. The Newborn Screening Reference Center at the NIH has partnered with the DOH to develop a performance evaluation and assessment scheme (PEAS). The Philippine PEAS is designed to monitor quality and improvements made in the regional DOH screening program. The Philippine PEAS was developed building on a PEAS previously developed by the US National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center, and we report here the development, implementation and results of the Philippine PEAS.

Neonatal Screening ; Peas ; Philippines ; Laboratories ; National Institutes Of Health (u.s.) ; Professional Competence ; Health Resources

The lack of a national policy on newborn screening (NBS) in the United States has resulted in 51 state-specific NBS policies (including 50 states and the District of Columbia). In 2000, a working group of the American Academy of Pediatrics provided a national NBS blueprint for the future. Using this guidance, the Health Resources and Services Administration contracted with the American College of Medical Genetics to: (i) develop a decision-making algorithm for states to use in selecting conditions for screening panels, and (ii) recommend a panel of tests to guide states in their screening requirements. This report outlines and summarises the processes and outcomes leading to the current NBS recommendations in the United States.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Screening ; methods ; standards ; United States

Newborn screening (NBS) in the United States (US) has existed since the early 1960s and is required in all 51 state jurisdictions. It is generally recognised that NBS provides a significant public health benefit by preventing or markedly decreasing the adverse medical consequences of conditions included in the screening panel. There is currently no US national NBS policy, so instead there are 51 independent state programmes that vary widely in their policies, infrastructures, procedures and services. Not surprisingly, US NBS programme costs and methods of financing also vary. Surveys have increasingly found a reliance on fees to pay for screening tests, short-term follow-up and other parts of state NBS systems. This article reviews some of the current US NBS financing issues and methodologies.
Financing, Organized ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Screening ; economics ; United States

Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has become increasingly popular as the preferred technology for detecting inborn errors of metabolism in newborn screening (NBS) programmes. Its sensitivity and specificity for detecting numerous metabolic conditions is well-documented. As a NBS technology, there are continuing questions about whether MS/MS should be utilised to the fullest when such usage may mean detecting and reporting analytical findings that could lead to differentiating and diagnosing for which treatment efficacy may not yet be proven. As part of a friendly debate to educate conference attendees on both sides of a somewhat controversial issue, 2 papers awere presented giving information supporting or questioning the cost effectiveness of full scan usage and reporting when using MS/MS in NBS. Reported here are some of the supporting arguments.
Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Metabolism, Inborn Errors ; diagnosis ; Neonatal Screening ; economics ; methods ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; economics