Screening for HIV in Primary Care is Cost Effective

Screening for HIV in primary care is cost-effective and should be promoted, according to the results of a UK study.

In a recent study, researchers investigated the benefits and potential harms of HIV screening in primary care, accounting for decreased morbidity, mortality, and transmission as well as potential increased costs associated with earlier diagnosis and initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART).
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The researchers constructed a dynamic, compartmental model of incidence of infection and the effect of screening for HIV in primary care practices.

Over a 40-year time horizon, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were £22,201 ($29,260.25) per quality-adjusted life-year gained, £372,207 ($490,557.66) per death averted, and £628,874 ($828,837.07) per HIV transmission averted. 

“Screening for HIV in primary care has important public health benefits as well as clinical benefits. We predict it to be cost-effective in the UK in the medium term. However, this intervention might be cost-effective far sooner, and even cost-saving, in settings where long-term health-care costs of late-diagnosed patients in high-prevalence regions are much higher (≥60%) than those of patients diagnosed earlier,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Baggaley RF, Irvine MA, Leber W, et al. Cost-effectiveness of screening for HIV in primary care: a health economics modelling analysis [published online July 30, 2017]. Lancet HIV. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3018(17)30123-6.