Assessment of the Routine, Occupation-Based Gonorrhea and Syphilis Screening Program in Moscow, Russia: An Analysis of Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevalence and Cost-Effectiveness

• Published in: Sexually transmitted diseases Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 453 - 460
• Main Authors: KOURBATOVA, EKATERINA V., AKOVBYAN, VAGAN A., CHESSON, HARRELL W., LYTKINA, IRINA N., DMITRIEV, GEORGYI A., TIKHONOVA, LILIA I., KOUBANOVA, ANNA A., PETUKHOVA, IRINA I., LATYPOVA, MUNIRA F., ABOYMOVA, OLGA A., LEWIS, JOEL S., RYAN, CAROLINE A., SHAKARISHVILI, ANNA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01-05-2008; Lippincott; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cost effectiveness; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Diagnostic Tests, Routine - economics; Diagnostic Tests, Routine - methods; Diagnostic Tests, Routine - standards; Disease transmission; Female; Gonorrhea; Gonorrhea - blood; Gonorrhea - diagnosis; Gonorrhea - economics; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; Gonorrhea - etiology; Gonorrhea - prevention & control; Humans; Male; Mass Screening - economics; Medical screening; Middle Aged; Occupational Health Services - economics; Occupations - statistics & numerical data; Predictive Value of Tests; Prevalence; Public health; Russia - epidemiology; Salespersons; Screening; Sexually transmitted diseases; Surveys and Questionnaires; Syphilis; Syphilis - blood; Syphilis - diagnosis; Syphilis - economics; Syphilis - epidemiology; Syphilis - etiology; Syphilis - prevention & control; Treponema pallidum; Urban Health; Russia; Moscow Russia
• ISSN: 0148-5717; 1537-4521
• DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e31816f1c65

Objectives: In the Russian Federation, large sectors of the population regularly undergo mandatory occupational screening for sexually transmitted infections (STLs). Objectives of our study were to determine the prevalence of syphilis and gonorrhea in the screened occupational groups in Moscow and to conduct a cost-effectiveness evaluation of the occupational screening program. Study Design: Serum samples from 4 main occupational groups (food handlers and other food industry workers, market salespersons, education and health care providers, and hotel and other public utility workers) were tested for syphilis and gonorrhea. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis (in 2003 rubles) of the screening program using decision analysis models. Results: In the total sample of 1000 study participants, overall prevalence for syphilis was 1.2% with the highest rate in market salespersons (4.4%) and for gonorrhea 0.3%. The incremental cost per case of STI treated was 8409 rubles ($252) for syphilis screening (compared with no screening) with higher incremental costs associated with expanding the program to include gonorrhea screening. The relatively low STI prevalence in the screened groups and the poor performance of the diagnostic tests used were important factors in the estimated cost-effectiveness of occupation-based screening. Conclusions: Modifications to occupation-based screening, including an increased focus on higher risk population and the adoption of more current diagnostic technologies, could help to use prevention resources more effectively.