Cost reduction in screening for retinopathy of prematurity in the Netherlands by comparing different screening strategies

Abstract

Purpose: Evaluate possibilities to reduce the number of infants screened for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and investigate costs and number of infants detected of current and alternative screening strategies in the Netherlands.

Methods: Prospective population-based study including clinical data from all infants born in 2017 and referred for ROP screening (NEDROP-2 study). Cost and effects of screening strategies were evaluated that differed on the criteria gestational age (GA), birth weight (BW) and presence of one or more specific risk factor(s) (RF): mechanical ventilation, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, postnatal corticoids and/or hypotension treated with inotropic agents. RF obtained from the Dutch perinatal registry (Perined).

Results: Of the possible efficient strategies, the annual costs varied from €137 966 (inclusion of BW < 700, 63 infants eligible for screening, detection of 17/39 treated ROP) to €492 689 (GA < 30 weeks and BW < 1250 grams, together with infants with GA 30-32 and BW 1250-1500 grams with presence of one more RF, 744 infants eligible for screening, all treated infants detected). Total annual costs of the current Dutch guideline that detects all infants that need treatment for ROP amount to €552 143).

Conclusion: The current Dutch ROP guideline can be improved by implementing new screening inclusion criteria. The most effective strategy detecting all severe and treated infants, reduces the number of screened infants by 24% compared to the current guideline and the overall annual costs by €59454.

Keywords: cost-effectiveness; guideline; improved vision; retinopathy of prematurity; screening.