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Resource use and costs for a glaucoma screening program in Austria: an 8-year review: a cost-consequence analysis based on the Salzburg-Moorfields Collaborative Glaucoma Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to report costs, detection rates, and resources needed for detection of primary open angle glaucoma and related diseases in a glaucoma screening program in Salzburg, Austria, over a period of 8 years. METHODS: The Salzburg-Moorfields Collaborative Glaucoma Study performed a complete ophthalmologic examination on a total of 4864 subjects within a study period of approximately 8 years (98 months). The total numbers reported are total number of subjects screened at the initial examination and follow-up examinations; total working hours and estimated working hours per visit for one ophthalmologist and two medical assistants; direct costs per visit; detection rates for subjects; and corresponding costs per true positive case diagnosed with definite primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), early POAG, POAG suspect, ocular hypertension (OHT), and glaucoma artefact. RESULTS: Within the screening period of 98 months, a total of 9427 examinations and second verification checks were performed: 5466 at the initial examination, 404 at the 1-year follow-up, 815 at the 2-year follow-up, 339 at the 3-year follow-up, 225 at the 4-year follow-up, 1059 at the 5-year follow-up, 996 at the 6-year follow-up, 118 at the 7-year follow-up, and 5 at the 8-year follow-up. The total amount of time spent for screening was 23,814 working hours. We estimate the costs per visit at EUR 123 for each initial examination, EUR 28 for each second confirmation check, and EUR 95 per follow-up examination. The following detection rates were observed: definite POAG: 1.7% (95% CI: 1.3-2.2%), early POAG: 2.9% (95% CI: 2.3-3.5%), POAG suspect: 8.5% (95% CI: 7.6-9.4%), OHT: 2.2% (95% CI: 1.7-2.7%), glaucoma artefact or other causes: 5.8% (95% CI: 5.1-6.6%), normal cases: 79% (95% CI: 78-80%). CONCLUSIONS: Direct costs per visit were considerably higher than those reported in the Netherlands or the United Kingdom. If a health care provider decides to perform a glaucoma screening within this setting, the costs for the detection of a new case are EUR 7250 for definite POAG, EUR 4250 for early POAG, EUR 1450 for POAG suspect, EUR 5600 for OHT, EUR 2100 for glaucoma artefact case, and EUR 156 for a normal case.

Adult↗

A community-based breast cancer screening program for medically underserved women: its effect on disease stage at diagnosis and on hazard of death.

OBJECTIVE: Earlier studies by this research team found that medically underserved minority women in the Miami-Dade County area of the state of Florida, United States, were in need of breast cancer screening and that there were problems with availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. In response, a community-based comprehensive breast cancer screening program called the Early Detection Program (EDP) was developed. The specific purpose of this study was to assess the effect that EDP participation had on stage at diagnosis and on hazard of death. METHODS: Existing data from the Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS), a statewide cancer registry, were linked with data from the EDP. In December 1998 we assembled a multiethnic (African-American, black Hispanic, white Hispanic, and white non-Hispanic) retrospective cohort with the following inclusion criteria: all women aged 40 and older with breast cancer diagnosed and staged at University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center (which is located in the city of Miami, Florida) from January 1987 through December 1997. EDP participants were medically underserved, that is, they resided in lower socioeconomic areas and/or had limited or no health insurance to cover medical costs. Subjects identified as EDP participants were compared to nonparticipants with respect to disease stage at diagnosis and hazard of death. Logistic regression and Cox regression models were used for analysis. RESULTS: EDP participants were 2.4 times as likely (95% confidence interval = 1.71 to 3.43) to present with a diagnosis of localized cancer as were nonparticipants, even after controlling for race and age at diagnosis. EDP participation was independently associated with both earlier diagnosis and reduced hazard of death. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in the EDP increases the likelihood of early detection of breast cancer and reduces the hazard of death for medically underserved women in the Miami-Dade County area of Florida. Interestingly, white Hispanics showed a better survival than did both African-Americans and white non-Hispanics. Our research also demonstrates the value of utilizing existing cancer registry data to evaluate a community-based program such as the EDP.

Adult↗

[Tc]-99m thyroid scintigraphy in congenital hypothyroidism screening program.

The aetiology of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) may be important in determining disease severity, outcome and treatment schedules because athyroid patients need higher treatment doses and close monitoring particularly early in life. The aim of this study was to evaluate thyroid scintigraphy (TS) findings in infants with CH and to determine the relationship of serum TSH and T4 values with thyroid agenesia, in an attempt to identify factors that may detect thyroid agenesia before treatment. Since August 2002 to April 2005, screening program for CH was carried out in the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Isfahan, Iran. Screening was performed by measuring both the serums T4 and TSH concentration at day 3-7 of birth. Full-term newborns were recalled based on a serum TSH >20 mIU/l or serum T4 < 6.5 microg/dl and premature newborns based on T4 level by weight and TSH level by age. After repeating the laboratory test and clinical evaluation, Tc-99m TS was recommended for all infants with suspected CH before thyroxin replacement therapy. On the basis of Tc-99m TS, the thyroid gland was classified as normal scan, ectopic, goiter and athyrosis. TS results were compared with serum T4 and TSH levels. Of 93 381 newborns screened over a period of nearly 3 years, 262 neonates were found to have CH. The overall incidence of CH was 1 : 357 live births with a female/male ratio (F/M) of 1.4/1. Thyroid scan was performed on 116 (54%) of the infants with CH; of them, 33 cases (28.4%) were athyrotic (F/M = 0.8/1) while seven infants (6%) had ectopic thyroid (F/M = 1.3/1) and 76 cases (65.6%) had a normal thyroid scan (F/M = 1.5/1). Infants with the absence of thyroid in TS had significantly higher TSH value in comparison with those with ectopic or normal TS (116.3 +/- 109.64 vs. 108.10 +/- 62.92 or 55.35 +/- 48.26 mIU/l, respectively, P < 0.0001). Although not statistically different, the mean T4 level was higher in normal TS group than in ectopic and athyrotic groups (8.03 +/- 3.48 vs. 6.36 +/- 5.57 or 5.04 +/- 3 microg/dl, respectively, P = 0.09). We conclude that Tc-99m TS is a useful diagnostic tool for the initial investigation of suspected CH and considering the correlation of TS results with blood TSH levels, proper management and close monitoring of hypothyroid infants with severe hormonal alterations is necessary for the detection of thyroid agenesia.

Congenital Hypothyroidism↗

[Familial predisposition to cancer: a cohort study of participants in a cervical cancer screening program].

A numerous number of case-control studies have already demonstrated a certain extent of familial clustering for most human cancers. This is the first report of follow-up study with respect to familial predisposition to cancer. About 40 thousands women who participated in a cervical cancer screening program in 1977 were followed up until 1985 by using the population-based cancer registry. Cancer patients who were detected in the cohort population and their controls were compared for the family history of cancer and female reproductive history both of which had been recorded in a computer file beforehand. For large bowel cancer and breast cancer, positive effect of familial predisposition was observed, though not statistically significant.

Adult↗

Neonatal screening program in Rajavithi Hospital, Thailand.

A pilot study was conducted in order to identify the cases and determine the incidence of congenital hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria (PKU) and glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in the newborn infants born at Rajavithi Hospital. During May 1995 - July 1998, 32,407 out of 49,092 (66%) infants were screened for congenital hypothyroidism by measuring thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) by radioimmunometric assay method. Seven cases of congenital hypothyroidism were identified (incidence of 1 : 4,629 live births). The recall rate was 0.66%. The screening for PKU was done on 17,421 out of 29,443 (59.14%) infants by measuring phenylalanine level by Guthrie method during June 1996 to July 1998. There was no PKU found. From January 1996 to July 1998. 24,714 newborn infants were screened for G6PD deficiency by fluorescent screening technique. The total incidence of 5.13% was found. The incidence in males and females was 9.13% and 1.66% respectively. This study confirms the benefit of the screening program in early detection and treatment of the disorders.

Congenital Hypothyroidism↗

Technical quality control practices in mammography screening programs in 22 countries.

OBJECTIVE: To assess current technical quality control (QC) practices within breast cancer screening or surveillance programs internationally. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The International Breast Cancer Screening Network (IBSN) conducted an extensive survey of quality assurance (QA) activities in developed countries known to have population-based breast cancer screening or surveillance programs in place. Twenty-three countries were sent questionnaires that included items about QA and QC requirements at screening sites, the minimum frequencies of QC test performance, and the personnel responsible for performing QC tests. RESULTS: All 23 countries in the IBSN completed general information on their QA practices. Twenty-two countries responded with complete details on their technical QC practices. The responses indicated a pattern of consistently high-quality control practices among population-based breast cancer screening and surveillance programs. Most programs performed the great majority of QC tests. Variations were observed in the performance frequencies of QC tests and in the personnel responsible for performing QC tests. CONCLUSION: QC practices among population-based breast cancer screening and surveillance programs are highly evolved, with the great majority of responding countries following prescribed QC protocols. Further research is needed on appropriate performance frequencies for mammography QC tests.

Accreditation↗

Who should be screened for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis? Experience from the Western New York Stroke Screening Program.

OBJECTIVE: Identification of significant asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS) is important because of the stroke-risk reduction observed with carotid endarterectomy. The authors developed and validated a simple scoring system based on routinely available information to identify persons at high risk for ACAS using data collected during a community health screening program at various sites in western New York. A total of 1331 unselected volunteers without previous stroke, transient ischemic attack, or carotid artery surgery were evaluated by personal interview and duplex ultrasound. The main outcome measure was carotid artery stenosis > 60% by duplex ultrasound. In the derivation set (n = 887), 4 variables were significantly associated with ACAS > 60%: age > 65 years (odds ratio [OR] = 4.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.6-6.7), current smoking (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2-3.5), coronary artery disease (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.5-3.9), and hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.2-2.9). Three risk groups (low, intermediate, and high) were defined on the basis of total risk score assigned on the basis of the strength of association. The scheme effectively stratified the validation set (n = 444); the likelihood ratio and posttest probability for ACAS in the high-risk group were 3.0 and 35%, respectively, and in the intermediate and low-risk groups were 1.4 and 20% and 0.4 and 7%, respectively. Routinely available information can be used to identify persons in the community at high risk for ACAS. Doppler ultrasound screening in this subgroup may prove to be cost-effective and have an effect on stroke-free survival.

Aged↗

Results of a screening program for multiple endocrine neoplasia type II.

After the diagnosis of MEN IIa syndrome in five members of a British family, a further 180 members were identified, 167 of whom were still alive. From death certificates, a further three were found to have been affected. Of these eight patients, only two were diagnosed and survived. Over the next four years, these two survivors and 90 others (those over the age of ten years) attended a screening program using alcohol or pentagastrin stimulated plasma calcitonin for MCT or urinary catecholamines for pheochromocytoma. The two surviving patients and 12 others were thought to have abnormal screening tests. One patient with an abnormal catecholamine excretion level had bilateral pheochromocytomas removed. Of the 13 patients with abnormal stimulated plasma calcitonin levels, five underwent total thyroidectomy, but MCT was found in only two. One of these patients and two of those in whom no tumor was found had persistently elevated stimulated plasma calcitonin levels postoperatively, suggesting the presence of C cells and, thus, persisting risk of MCT. In all patients, plasma calcitonin concentrations were variable, and an established normal range of values is essential if unnecessary surgical treatment is to be avoided. Pheochromocytoma proved difficult to diagnose, and pentagastrin stimulated plasma catecholamines deserves evaluation as a screening test. Despite the large effort involved, permanent screening of all family members is recommended as the only means of reducing mortality. Following any treatment, screening should continue because new disease or recurrence is possible.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

The effect of attending a flexible sigmoidoscopic screening program on the prevalence of colorectal adenomas at 13-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: Understanding the epidemiology of colorectal adenomas is a prerequisite for designing follow-up programs after polypectomy. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of polypectomy on the long-term prevalence of adenomas. METHODS: In 1983, a total of 799 men and women aged 50-59 yr were drawn from the general population register. Of these, 400 comprised a screening group and 399 a matched control group. The screenees were invited to undergo a once-only flexible sigmoidoscopy. Persons with polyps had a baseline colonoscopy with follow-ups in 1985 and 1989. In 1996, both the screenees and the controls were invited to a colonoscopic examination. RESULTS: In 1996, a total of 451 (71%) individuals attended. Adenomas were found in 78 (37%) individuals in the screening group and 103 (43%) in the control group, relative risk (95% confidence interval): 0.9 (0.7-1.1), p = 0.3, and high-risk adenomas (severe dysplasia, adenomas > or = 10 mm, villous components) were found in 16 (8%) and 32 (13%), respectively; relative risk (95% confidence interval): 0.6 (0.3-1.0), p = 0.07. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in adenoma prevalence between the group after the screening program and the controls after the usual care. There was a trend toward more high-risk adenomas in the control group. This suggests a very limited effect of one-time screening sigmoidoscopy with surveillance colonoscopy on the prevalence of adenomas, but a preventive effect on the development of high-risk adenomas consistent with the reported effect on cancer prevention.

Adenoma↗

Aortic calcification detected in a mass chest screening program using a mobile helical computed tomography unit. Relationship to risk factors and coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND: There is a significant relationship between calcification of the aortic arch (Arch) detected by chest X-ray examination and coronary artery disease (CAD), but the relationship between risk factors, CAD and aortic calcification detected during a mass screening program using a mobile helical computed tomography (CT) unit remains unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: In total 2,623 subjects (1,347 men, and 1,276 women; mean age, 52.9+/-13.8) underwent an examination for lung cancer and tuberculosis using a mobile helical CT unit. The frequency of calcification was 19.6% in the Arch, 2.7% in the ascending aorta, and 10.1% in the descending aorta, values that were positively associated with age in both genders. Hypertension and smoking were significantly related to calcification of the thoracic aorta. There was a significant relationship between CAD and aortic calcification. The odds ratio of aortic calcification for patients with CAD increased as the number of calcified segments increased. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that detection of calcification in the thoracic aorta during a mass chest screening using a mobile helical CT unit can be used to evaluate the risk of CAD.

Adolescent↗

The value of pharmacist involvement in a point-of-care service, walk-in lipid screening program.

The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease. Because an elevated serum cholesterol level is an independent risk factor for development of coronary heart disease (CHD), individuals older than 20 years of age are advised to have their cholesterol level checked every 5 years. Walk-in screening programs are becoming popular as a method of health care delivery. The program at the University of California-Irvine Medical Center administers point-of-care, low-cost lipid profile testing, directly involves patients in their own care, and provides individualized education to patients regarding cardiovascular risk reduction. A total of 301 patients participated in the program between August 1998 and September 2000. Fifty percent of them (150 patients) required intervention; 34% of these (52 patients) were previously undiagnosed. Their mean age was 57 +/- 13 years; 35% were women, 53% had two or more cardiac risk factors, and 5% had CHD. Based on the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, 29% had low-density lipoprotein levels above target, 23% had triglyceride levels higher than recommended, and 21% had high-density lipoprotein levels below target. It is our hope that our successful experience with the program will encourage pharmacists to develop similar programs.

Adult↗

Psychological screening program overview.

This article reviews the literature on health surveillance conducted during military deployments, focusing on models for assessing the impact of operational deployments on peacekeepers. A discussion of the stressors and potential mental health consequences of peacekeeping operations follows with relevant examples of findings from U.S. and international military forces. Psychological screening in different peacekeeping operations conducted in U.S. Army-Europe is reviewed. The review begins with the redeployment screening of military personnel deployed to Bosnia mandated under the Joint Medical Surveillance Program, and continues through the present screening of units deployed to Kosovo. The detailed description of the screening program includes a discussion of procedures and measures and demonstrates the evolution of the program. A summary of key findings from the screening program and a discussion of future research directions are provided.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

[The value of the localization technique of occult breast changes with reference to future screening programs].

A retrospective study of 54 needle localisations of occult mammographic lesions by the technique of Brun del Re shows an easy and precise handling of the method without serious complications and emphasizes the favourable result of the localized breast cancers (a lot of non-invasive cancers, small average size of the cancers, most cases with nodal negative state). Our results are compared to a literature review. The discussion demonstrates the importance of localisation techniques in the set-up of screening programs.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Factors associated with perceived risk of breast cancer among women attending a screening program.

A person's perception of the risk of, or susceptibility to, developing a disease is believed to be an important determinant of health-related behavior, yet little is known about the determinants of perceived risk. Knowledge of these correlates may be useful in identifying and addressing barriers to performance of health behaviors such as mammography screening. Data collected from over 36,000 women participating in a breast cancer screening program in Texas were used to examine the associations between perceived risk of ever getting breast cancer and a number of demographic factors, health-related behaviors, and risk factors for breast cancer. There was a strong positive association between family history of breast cancer and risk perception (OR = 11.3, CI = 10.34-12.35). Women who reported other risk factors for breast cancer also reported higher perceived risk, but those associations were of lesser magnitude. Age was inversely associated with perceived risk, and black, but not Hispanic, women were more likely to perceive their risk as high compared with white women. Of the health-related behaviors for the early detection of breast cancer, only having had a prior mammogram was associated with perceived risk. Educational interventions to heighten women's awareness of breast cancer risk factors may increase perceived risk in high risk women and influence their decision to undergo screening mammography.

Adult↗

Increased FDG uptake in the wall of the right atrium in people who participated in a cancer screening program with whole-body PET.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of patients who showed increased FDG uptake in the wall of the right atrium. We have encountered 10 patients with increased activity in the wall of the right atrium among a total of 2,367 examinees who participated in our cancer screening program with whole-body PET. The mean age of these examinees was 62.9 yr, higher than that of the total population. All suffered from cardiac disorders, especially atrial fibrillation. FDG accumulated almost exclusively in the wall of the right atrium, whereas only slight activity was seen in the wall of the left atrium. Although the average size of the right atria was significantly enlarged, left atria were more severely dilated than right ones. Therefore overload does not seem to account for the FDG accumulation in the wall of the right atrium. In conclusion, the increased activity in the wall of the right atrium was a rare finding that was made in older people who suffered from cardiac disease. Although the mechanism of induction of the high metabolic state of glucose in the wall of the right atrium remains unclear, this unusual activity would be another false positive finding in cancer screening with whole-body FDG PET.

Adult↗

Lung cancer: performance of automated lung nodule detection applied to cancers missed in a CT screening program.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of a fully automated computerized method for the detection of lung nodules in computed tomographic (CT) scans in the identification of lung cancers that may be missed during visual interpretation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A database of 38 low-dose CT scans with 50 lung nodules was obtained from a lung cancer screening program. Thirty-eight of the nodules represented biopsy-confirmed lung cancers that had not been reported during initial clinical interpretation. A computer detection method that involved the use of gray-level thresholding techniques to identify three-dimensionally contiguous structures within the lungs was applied to the CT data. Computer-extracted volume was used to determine whether a structure became a nodule candidate. A rule-based scheme and a cascaded automated classifier were applied to the set of nodule candidates to distinguish actual nodules from areas of normal anatomy. Overall performance of the computer detection method was evaluated with free-response receiver operating characteristic (FROC) analysis. RESULTS: At a specific operating point on the FROC curve, the method achieved a sensitivity of 80% (40 of 50 nodules), with an average of 1.0 false-positive detection per section. Missed cancers were detected by the computerized method with a sensitivity of 84% (32 of 38 nodules) and a false-positive rate of 1.0 per section. CONCLUSION: With an automated lung nodule detection method, a large fraction (84%, 32 of 38) of missed cancers in a database of low-dose CT scans were detected correctly.

Aged↗

Prospective analysis and classification of patients with cystinuria identified in a newborn screening program.

Patients who inherit mutant cystinuria genes excrete high concentrations of cystine, ornithine, arginine, and lysine in the urine. At least three variants of cystinuria can be distinguished in heterozygotes. To determine whether certain combinations of mutant genes are more disadvantageous than others, we analyzed amino acid excretion in families of 17 probands with cystinuria identified by the Quebec neonatal screening program. Parents of the probands were classified into the three known phenotypes by calculating the sum of cystine, ornithine, arginine, and lysine excretion. Although parents of type I/I homozygotes excreted amounts of cystine in the normal range, their offspring excreted significantly greater amounts of urinary cystine than did children who have type I/III genetic compounds. This observation suggests that types I and III cystinuria mutations might involve two distinct genetic loci. Children with type I/I homozygous cystinuria often excrete cystine at levels greater than the theoretic solubility limit and may be at greatest risk for nephrolithiasis. We outline an approach to monitoring children with cystinuria who come to medical attention before formation of cystine stones.

Arginine↗

Impact of a cancer screening program on breast cancer stage at diagnosis in a medically underserved urban community.

BACKGROUND: Our previous report showed that the disparity in breast carcinoma survival between black and white women because of advanced stage of disease at presentation in poor black women is related to their low socioeconomic status and lack of health insurance. This observation led to establishment of a community-oriented free cancer screening service. STUDY DESIGN: To evaluate the impact of screening on breast cancer stage at diagnosis, analysis of data from the Harlem Hospital Tumor Registry between 1995 and 2000 was performed and compared with our 1964-1986 report. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent of cancers (324 of 1,405) diagnosed between 1995 and 2000 were breast carcinoma. Data confirm that lack of insurance remains a major problem among poor black women. We observed a marked fall, from 49% in our earlier report to 21% in this study, in late-stage (III and IV) disease at presentation. This fall is associated with significant (p < 0.001) improvement in early detection of breast cancer, with 41% of cancers in stages 0 and I in this data compared with 6% in the previous study. Of note, 53% of women with breast carcinoma had breast-conserving surgery and 45% had modified radical mastectomy in this study; 71% had radical or modified radical mastectomy in the earlier report. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the importance of a free cancer screening program in the improvement of early-stage breast cancer detection, treatment, and survival in a poor urban community.

Adenocarcinoma↗