Cost-effectiveness analysis of pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart defects following homebirth and early discharge

Pulse oximetry (PO) screening is used to screen newborns for critical congenital heart defects (CCHD). Analyses performed in hospital settings suggest that PO screening is cost-effective. We assessed the costs and cost-effectiveness of PO screening in the Dutch perinatal care setting, with home births and early postnatal discharge, compared to a situation without PO screening. Data from a prospective accuracy study with 23,959 infants in the Netherlands were combined with a time and motion study and supplemented data. Costs and effects of the situations with and without PO screening were compared for a cohort of 100,000 newborns. Mean screening time per newborn was 4.9 min per measurement and 3.8 min for informing parents. The additional costs of screening were in total €14.71 per screened newborn (€11.00 personnel, €3.71 equipment costs). Total additional costs of screening and referral were €1,670,000 per 100,000 infants. This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €139,000 per additional newborn with CCHD detected with PO, when compared to a situation without PO screening. A willingness-to-pay threshold of €20,000 per gained QALY for screening in the Netherlands makes the screening likely to be cost-effective. Conclusion: PO screening in the Dutch care setting is likely to be cost-effective.What is Known:• Pulse oximetry is increasingly implemented as a screening tool for critical congenital heart defects in newborns.• Previous studies suggest that the screening in cost-effective and in the USA a reduction in infant mortality from critical congenital heart defects was demonstrated.What is New:• This is the first cost-effectiveness analysis for pulse oximetry screening in a setting with screening after home births, with screening at two moments.• Costs of pulse oximetry screening in a setting with hospital and homebirth deliveries were €14.71 and is likely to be cost-effective accordint to Dutch standards.