title: Estimating the cost-effectiveness of brief interventions for heavy drinking in primary health care across Europe.
abstract: Screening and Brief Interventions for alcohol are an effective public health measure to tackle alcohol-related harm, however relatively few countries across the European Union (EU) have implemented them widely. This may be due to a lack of understanding of the specific financial implications of such policies within each country.
  
  
  
  A novel 'meta-modelling' approach was developed based on previous SBI cost-effectiveness models for four EU countries. Data were collected on the key factors which drive cost-effectiveness for all 28 EU countries (mean per capita alcohol consumption, proportion of the population to be screened over a 10-year SBI programme; per capita alcohol-attributable mortality; per capita alcohol-attributable morbidity; mean cost of an alcohol-related hospitalisation and mean SBI-delivery staff cost). Regression analysis was used to fit two meta-models estimating net programme costs and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) gained, to calculate cost-effectiveness estimates specific to each EU country.
  
  
  
  Costs are dependent upon the proportion of the population covered by the screening programme, the country-specific per capita mortality and morbidity rate and the country-specific costs of GP care and hospitalisation. QALYs depend on the proportion of the population screened and per capita alcohol consumption. Despite large inter-country variability in factor values, SBI programmes are likely to be cost-effective in 24 out of 28 EU countries and cost-saving in 50% of countries.
  
  
  
  Implementing national programmes of SBI in primary health care would be a cost-effective means of reducing alcohol-attributable morbidity and deaths in almost all countries of the EU.
authors: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors: Colin
authors: C
authors: Angus
authors: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors: Chloe
authors: C
authors: Thomas
authors: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Anderson
authors: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors: Petra S
authors: PS
authors: Meier
authors: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Brennan
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years