Screening for @entity0 can result in early detection of @entity5 and lives saved. Many employers now offer periodic screening as an employee health benefit, and some have established screening programs in the workplace. This study was performed to identify the employer costs of @entity0 screening in the workplace, referrals for suspicious findings, and initial treatment of @entity5 . Additionally, the costs for these same services, had they been obtained outside of a workplace screening program, were estimated. Data on program components and associated costs for an established employer based @entity0 screening program were obtained. These costs were compared to those among a hypothetical cohort of @entity1 not enrolled in the workplace screening program. From 1989 through 1995, 1,416 @entity1 participated in the program. Nearly 2,500 screening mammograms and approximately 2,773 clinical breast examinations were performed, resulting in 292 referrals to physicians outside of the program for additional diagnostic procedures and treatment as needed. These referrals resulted in the detection of 12 @entity5 : 8 Stage I; 3 Stage II; and 1 Stage III. Mammographic and clinical breast examination screening cost  249,041; referrals resulting in benign disease or no detectable disease cost  185,002; and referrals resulting in @entity5 , followed by initial treatment, cost  148,530. Therefore, the total cost was  582,573. Approximately 47% of the cost of referrals and initial treatment were due to employee lost productivity. Total cost in the hypothetical cohort was  1,067,948 under the assumptions that all @entity1 received screening outside of the workplace, and that the same number of @entity5 were detected at the same stage as in the workplace program. These findings indicate referrals resulting in detection of benign disease or no disease accounted for a substantial proportion of the total cost of the program. In addition, employee lost productivity accounted for almost 50% of the cost of all referrals and initial treatment. Workplace screening is a relatively efficient approach for early detection of @entity0 when compared to off site screening or no screening. The efficiency could be improved with a reduction in the number and cost of unnecessary referrals.

A workplace XXXX screening program. Costs and components.

@entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['malignant disease', 'malignancies'] @entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women'] @entity0 :: ('MESH:D001943', 'Disease') :: ['breast cancer']
@entity0 :: (MESH:D001943,Disease) :: ['breast cancer']
