Costs of interventions for visual impairment.

Abstract

To quantify the economic costs of vision loss in Australia and assess the impact of a costed intervention package to prevent avoidable vision loss. Existing Australian population-based data on prevalence and causes of visual impairment were used, and costs were calculated from published data for the five main causes of visual impairment. The cost of vision loss in Australia was determined from the weighted prevalence of visual impairment; unpublished data on the indirect costs of vision; and national databases on health care costs and other economic data. A costed intervention package was developed and its economic impact modeled. Outcome measures were total costs and savings from the interventions. The intervention package would cost AU$188.8 million to implement in its first year but would bring a net return of AU$163.1 million in direct costs in the first year and an overall savings to the country of AU$911.1 million, a 4.8-fold return on investment. Three-quarters of vision loss is avoidable, and many eye care interventions are cost effective. Even a developed economy cannot afford avoidable vision loss. Priority needs to be given to the prevention and treatment of avoidable vision loss.