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An economic appraisal of screening for Down's syndrome in pregnancy using maternal age and serum alpha fetoprotein concentration

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  • Gill, Mike
  • Murday, Victoria
  • Slack, Joan

Abstract

The direct and indirect costs and benefits of expanding the existing screening programme for Down's syndrome by using maternal age and serum alpha fetoprotein concentrations have been calculated using an ascertainment of Down's syndrome pregnancies from the North East Thames Regions in 1982. In addition a possible approach to evaluating the total costs and benefits to the families concerned is presented. If the uptake of the proposed screening programme is maximal, the replacement rate is zero and a discount rate of 5% is used, the benefit cost ratio is 23.6. If the uptake of the programme is 50%, the replacement rate is 100% and a discount rate of 7% is used, the benefit cost ratio is 12.2. The proposed screening programme, based upon a risk of Down's syndrome of at least 1 in 220 using maternal age and serum alpha fetoprotein is both equitable for families at risk and of economic benefit to both families and society.

Suggested Citation

  • Gill, Mike & Murday, Victoria & Slack, Joan, 1987. "An economic appraisal of screening for Down's syndrome in pregnancy using maternal age and serum alpha fetoprotein concentration," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 24(9), pages 725-731, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:24:y:1987:i:9:p:725-731
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    Cited by:

    1. Hall, Jane & Fiebig, Denzil G. & King, Madeleine T. & Hossain, Ishrat & Louviere, Jordan J., 2006. "What influences participation in genetic carrier testing?: Results from a discrete choice experiment," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 520-537, May.
    2. Theodore G. Ganiats, 1996. "Justifying Prenatal Screening and Genetic Amniocentesis Programs by Cost-Effectiveness Analyses," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 16(1), pages 45-50, February.

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