Fiscal Consequences of Universal Screening for Group-B Streptococci
Author Information
Author(s): Gilles R.G. Monif MD
Primary Institution: Creighton University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
What are the fiscal implications of implementing universal screening for group-B streptococci during pregnancy?
Conclusion
Universal screening for GBS may lead to significant healthcare costs without guaranteeing a reduction in early-onset GBS disease.
Supporting Evidence
- The cost per case prevention for GBS screening is estimated to be less than $35,000.
- High costs of caring for neonates with early-onset disease range from $22,000 to $33,800.
- Compliance with the screening protocol was only 80.3% in a reviewed program.
- Four out of five cases of early-onset neonatal GBS were due to failures in initial screening.
Takeaway
The idea of testing all pregnant women for a bacteria called GBS sounds good, but it might cost a lot of money and not really help babies as much as we think.
Potential Biases
There may be a bias towards advocating universal screening without sufficient evidence of its effectiveness.
Limitations
The study lacks clinical trials comparing different screening strategies and does not guarantee prevention of all early-onset GBS disease.
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