Infectious disease screening in asylum-seekers: range, coverage and economic evaluation in Germany (2015)

Objective: To assess (i) the range, coverage, and costs of compulsory screening in asylum-seekers in Germany; and (ii) the effect of screening policies on between-state differences in screening costs. Methods: Content analysis of screening policies for infectious diseases in Germany“s 16 federal states followed by an economic evaluation using secondary and publicly available data. Outcome measures: estimates of yield, total direct costs of compulsory screening and costs per identified case of disease in 441, 899 first-applicant asylum-seekers in 2015. Results: Screening was compulsory for tuberculosis (TB) in as…