Cost-effectiveness of Check It: A Novel Community-Based Chlamydia Screening and Expedited Treatment Program for Young Black Men

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases Vol. 74; no. 12; pp. 2166 - 2172
• Main Authors: Stoecker, Charles, Monnette, Alisha, Qu, Zhuolin, Schmidt, Norine, Craig-Kuhn, Megan Clare, Kissinger, Patricia J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 06-07-2022
• Subjects: Major and Commentaries; screening; expedited partner treatment; cost-effective; chlamydia
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab818

Abstract
Background
We assessed the cost-effectiveness of the Check It program, a novel community-based chlamydia screening and expedited partner treatment program for young Black men conducted in New Orleans since 2017.
Methods
We implemented a probabilistic cost-effectiveness model using a synthetic cohort of 16 181 men and 13 419 women intended to simulate the size of the Black, sexually active population in New Orleans ages 15–24 years.
Results
The Check It program cost $196 838 (95% confidence interval [CI]: $117 320–$287 555) to implement, saved 10.2 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs; 95% CI: 7.7–12.7 QALYs), and saved $140 950 (95% CI: −$197 018 to −$105 620) in medical costs per year. The program cost $5468 (95% CI: cost saving, $16 717) per QALY gained. All iterations of the probabilistic model returned cost-effectiveness ratios less than $50 000 per QALY gained.
Conclusions
The Check It program (a bundled seek, test, and treat chlamydia prevention program for young Black men) is cost-effective under base case assumptions. Communities where Chlamydia trachomatis rates have not declined could consider implementing a similar program.
A synthetic cohort study of a novel community-based chlamydia screening program with expedited partner treatment for young Black men in New Orleans found the program cost-effective.