The estimated cost of school scoliosis screening

Study Design, This is a population-based, longitudinal retrospective study of one community's school-based scoliosis screening program. Objective. To report the estimated costs of mass school-based screening for scoliosis. Summary of Background Data. School scoliosis screening has been reported to cost from as little as $0.06 To as much as $194 per child. The lower estim ate considered only the cost to the school, and the higher estimate defined all children with curves of 5 degrees or more as cases. Methods. School scoliosis screening results were linked with the medical an d chiropractic care records of all referred children to identify outcomes a nd scoliosis-related health service utilization from Grade 5 through gradua tion or age 19 years. Costs are presented per child screened, per chi Id wi th a spina I cu rye of 20 degrees or mo re, and per child treated for scoli osis and are based on scoliosis-related health care utilization and school costs. Results. Ninety-two (4.1%) of 2197 children screened were referred for furt her evaluation of possible scoliosis, and 68 (74%) of those had documented evaluation for possible scoliosis. Five of the 92 children referred were tr eated for scoliosis by age 19, Sixty-six scoliosis-related primary care vis its, 79 scoliosis-related orthopedist visits, and 79 full spine radiographs followed referral but preceded treatment. Case-finding costs for screening were $24.66 per child screened (n = 2197), $3,385.25 per child with a curv e of 20 degrees or more (n = 16) and $10,836.00 per child treated for scoli osis (n = 5). Conclusion. School scoliosis screening is significantly more costly than ha s previously been reported.