Volume 29, Issue 6: December, 2002

Abstract

Analysis of the Cost-Effectiveness of Mammography Promotion by Volunteers in Rural Communities

M. Robyn Andersen, PhD, MPH, Michelle Hager, BS, Celina Su, BA and Nicole Urban, ScD

The Community Trial of Breast Cancer Screening Promotion assessed the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mammography promotion by community volunteer groups in rural areas using three different intervention approaches: individual counseling, community activities, and a combined intervention including both. Societal costs of the interventions were calculated and used in conjunction with measures of effectiveness to calculate cost-effectiveness in terms of cost per additional mammogram and cost per year of life saved. Methods of collecting and using cost information to assess the cost-effectiveness of community interventions are described. The Community Activities intervention was found to be the most cost-effective, at approximately $2,000 for each additional regular mammography user in the community. The cost per year of life saved associated with mammography promotion was approximately $56,000 per year of life saved. Exploratory analyses suggest that the most cost-effective method of promoting mammography use may vary with the target population.