The unit costs of AAA screening in Finland were estimated using the actual cost data from AAA patients in the hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa from the year 2010. Unit costs for ultrasound examination, computer tomography, and elective and emergency surgery for AAA were estimated. Costs of long-term consequences (e.g. possible rehabilitation after the intervention) were not included. The cost estimates include only the costs for healthcare sector; other costs to society, and private costs for patients and their relatives were excluded from this analysis.

The Finnish data were used when conducting the base case cost-effectiveness analysis. To estimate the possible variation in unit costs within Europe, other EUnetHTA partners were asked at the beginning of 2012 to estimate the corresponding costs in their countries. The variations in unit costs are reported in this result card (Table 4).

Estimates of the relevant unit costs were obtained in a survey sent to EUnetHTA partners in December 2011 (with reminders in 2012). One should be careful when comparing these figures since we did not ask the respondents to report systematically from which year the cost estimates were derived, or what was the source/reference for the costs. In addition, there is little information about the costs of invitation to screening. This cost may vary depending on the way the invitation process is (and can be) organised in a country. Possible costs associated with, e.g., awareness campaigns concerning population-based screening, should also be included.