Cardiovascular Disease Screening By Community Health Workers Can Be Cost-Effective In Low-Resource Countries

• DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0349
• Publication Date: 2015-09-09T13:15:07Z
• Authors: Thomas Gaziano; Shafika Abrahams-...; Sam Surka; Stephen Sy; Ankur Pandya; Catalina A. Denman; Carlos Mendoza; Thandi Puoane; Naomi S. Levitt
• Keywords: Community Health; Community Health Workers; Mobile phone

In low-resource settings, a physician is not always available. We recently demonstrated that community health workers-instead of physicians or nurses-can efficiently screen adults for cardiovascular disease in South Africa, Mexico, and Guatemala. this analysis we sought to determine the economic impacts shifting screening workers equipped with either paper-based mobile phone-based tool. found by was very cost-effective even cost-saving all three countries, compared usual clinic-based screening. The application emerged as most strategy because it could save more lives than paper tool at minimal extra cost. Our modeling indicated workers, combined improved treatment rates, would increase number deaths averted from 15,000 110,000, standard care. Policy makers should promote greater acceptance both national populations professionals their commitment treating making medications