Screening colonoscopy in Germany is cost-saving

Aims: Screening colonoscopy was introduced into the National CRC screening program in Germany in 2002. We explored the possible costs and savings of screening colonoscopy to investigate whether the induced savings may compensate for the costs of screening. Methods: Costs and savings of screening colonoscopy were evaluated over a defined period of 10 years. Basic data about findings, adverse effects and costs of screening colonoscopy were obtained from a large-scale online registry of 109.989 procedures and from the actual payments of procedures in Germany. Baseline assumptions were: 10-year conversion rate into…