Cost effectiveness evaluation of cataract patient care in respect of monofocal intraocular lenses from the perspective of German statutory health insurance

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Data on the cost effectiveness of cataract surgery with respect to the German statutory health insurance system are hardly available. Hence the increase in visual acuity as primary efficacy endpoint, order of posterior capsule opacification as primary complication endpoint and direct cost for supplementation with monofocal intraocular lenses have been assessed via meta-analyses to evaluate the procedure's cost effectiveness from the perspective of the German statutory health insurance system. Using the medical internet database MEDLINE two meta-analyses on publications between 1995 and 2002 were carried out, one estimating the gained increase in visual acuity, the second to estimate the frequency of posterior capsule opacification 5 years after implantation of a monofocal lens. To estimate the direct cost of German health insurance current reimbursement rates were used. The primary objective of this investigation was the individual incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) linking the direct cost with the cataract surgery-associated increase in visual acuity. 51 studies were included in the meta analysis regarding the increase in visual acuity after cataract surgery. The median increase in visual acuity was about 5 visual units (interquartile range 3.6 - 8.0 units) reaching a median postoperative visual acuity of 0.8. The median incidence rate of posterior capsule opacification during the observed period of 5 years was estimated 24 % (10 - 34 %). Computation of the current reimbursement rates of German health insurance resulted in a median incremental cost of 223.25 euro; per gained visual unit. Providing of cataract patients with monofocal intraocular lenses means median incremental costs of about 223 euro; to be refunded by the health insurance and is associated with a median visual acuity outcome of 0.8. Therefore the cost effectiveness of cataract surgery can be regarded quite encouraging compared to the outcome of other ophthalmological outpatient surgery.