The cost of hepatitis C and the cost-effectiveness of its prevention.
Hepatitis C infection is an emerging problem in public health and is now the most common blood-borne infection. The virus imposes a significant personal and social burden on those infected, as well as substantial costs to the health care system. In this paper we report an estimate of the costs of hepatitis C and consider the role such information might play in determining an appropriate preventive strategy. Preventing a single case of HCV would release resources valued Aus $6000 and Aus $19,000, depending on whether production loses were included. This information can be used to derive cost-effectiveness thresholds for any preventive activity, but is not in itself necessary in determining health priorities. Information on the marginal cost-effectiveness of preventive methods is both necessary and sufficient.
Shiell
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A
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1. ashiell@ucalgary.ca
Law
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MG
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D017046:Cost Savings; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000191:economics; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics*