The Cost Analysis of Cervical Cancer Screening Services Provided by Damavand Health Center in ۲۰۱۳

Background: Today, the health sector in many countries is facing with severe resourceconstraints; hence it is absolutely necessary that cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness assessment havea major role in design of health services. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-benefitand effectiveness of cervical cancer screening service (Pap smear test) done by the health centers inDamavand County in ۲۰۱۳.Methods: This is a descriptive study with cross-sectional method. All data was extracted fromexisting documents in Damavand health network.Cost of service screening for doing Pap smear test (manpower costs of performing the service, thecost of transferring samples, water, electricity, telephone and gas) was estimated in all healthcenters then results, were compared with the incomes of this service.Results: Screening program coverage was ۲۲.۳%, ۶.۹% and ۶.۰۵% in ۲۰۱۱, ۲۰۱۲ and ۲۰۱۳respectively. All costs and incomes of units performing Pap smear screening test were calculated.Entire costs and incomes of this service during ۲۰۱۳ were respectively ۳۰۳,۰۰۹,۰۰۰ and ۱۱,۶۴۰,۰۰۰RLS equal $۱۲,۲۲۷ and $۴۹۶.۷۳. Therefore, the cost-benefit ratio of this screening test wasapproximately ۰.۰۴۰.Conclusion: The costs of units performing cervical cancer screening test in Damavand HealthCenter were much more than this benefit and because of a none-positive Pap smear test in spite ofhigh cost, performing this test in Damavand health centers was not cost effective.

Keywords:

Cost , Cost-benefit analysis , Cervical cancer screening , Pap smear test