Economic evaluation of students’ screening program in the city of Komijan (Iran-2009)

    Background: Economic evaluation is one of the measures of decision making for providing efficient services.   Objective: To calculate the cost outcome of students’ screening program in the city of Komijan.   Methods: This was a descriptive analytical study carried out on all first grade students of different educational courses including primary schools, guiding schools, and high schools. The cost-unit method was used to calculate the cost followed by analysis of data using the Excel software.   Findings: Screening program showed that 0.1% of total students had diabetes, 0.2% cardio-vascular disorders, 0.26% asthma, 3.07% anemia, 32% pediculosis, 0.1% tinea, 18.33% dental caries, 0.54% hearing problems, 6.42% optic problems, 0.8% behavioral (otism) disorder. The total cost of students’ screening program was 164495020 Rials and the average cost equal to 88773 Rials. The minimum cost of detection a single disorder among the students of primary, guiding, and high schools was associated with dental disorders which was equal to 4736, 7037, and 12268 Rials, respectively. The maximum detecting costs for a single disorder were for speech disorders among the students of primary schools (3500301 Rials) and hearing disorders in students of guiding schools (2075018 Rials) and high schools (3900784 Rials).   Conclusion: The students’ health screening program within the rural and urban regions of the city of Komijan is cost-effective and thus could be continued.