For the study, Mei-Sing Ong of the Boston Children’s Hospital Informatics Program and Ken Mandl, Harvard Medical School professor and Boston Children’s Hospital Informatics Program faculty member, looked at the costs from false-positive mammograms and breast cancer overdiagnoses among more than 700 women ages 40-59, between 2011 and 2013.
The study found that the average expenditures for each false-positive mammogram, invasive breast cancer, and ductal carcinoma in situ, the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer, in the 12 months following diagnosis were $852, $51,837 and $12,369, respectively. This translates to a national cost of $4 billion each year.
“The costs associated with false-positive mammograms and breast cancer overdiagnoses appear to be much higher than previously documented,” the authors wrote. “Screening has the potential to save lives. However, the economic impact of false-positive mammography results and breast cancer overdiagnoses must be considered in the debate about the appropriate populations for screening.”
More articles on healthcare finance:
Sentara Healthcare net surplus falls to $359.9M
13 recent hospital outlook and rating actions
10 hospital CFOs in the headlines this week
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.
