Monali S Malvankar-Mehta,1,2 Ryan Wilson,3 Erik Leci,3 Kelly Hatch,4 Sapna Sharan1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Ivey Eye Institute, St.Joseph’s Hospital, 2Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, 3Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, 4Allyn & Betty Taylor Library, Natural Sciences Centre, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, copyright Background: The objective of this research was to conduct a systematic review and cost analysis to summarize, from the Ministry of Health perspective, the costs families might incur because of their child’s prescription for refractive errors and amblyopia correction.Methods: Databases including MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS, CINAHL, HEED, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library as well as the gray La práctica del Pentatlón Militar en la formación inicial del profesional de la Academia Militar del Ejército Bolivariano literature were searched.Systematic review was conducted using EPPI-Reviewer 4.
Percentage difference in cost of glasses and patches per patient per various diagnoses were computed.The cost of glasses and patches was projected over a 5-year time horizon.Cost-utility analysis was performed.Results: In total, 302 records were retrieved from multiple databases and an additional 48 records were identified through gray literature search.
From these, a total of 14 studies (10,388 subjects) were eligible for quantitative analysis.The cost of glasses increased significantly for congenital cataract patients to US$1,820, esotropia patients to US$840, myopes to US$411, amblyopes (mixed) to US$916, anisometropes to US$521, and patients with strabismus to US$728 New External Design Temperatures and Geospatial Models for Poland and Central Europe for Building Heat Load Calculations over a 5-year period making them unaffordable for low-income families.Incremental cost of glasses of congenital cataract patients with delayed treatment was computed to be US$1,690 per health utility gained.Incremental cost of glasses for high refractive error was US$93 per health utility gained in non-compliant children.
For amblyopia patients, incremental cost of glasses per quality-adjusted life years gained was US$3,638.Conclusion: Cost of corrective lenses is associated with significant financial burden and thus other means of mitigating costs should be considered.Eyesight problems in children are perceived as low-priority health needs.Thus, educational interventions on substantial visual deficits of not wearing glasses should be offered to families and governmental health agencies.
Keywords: systematic review, amblyopia, prescription lens, utility, cost, quality-adjusted life years.