Estimating the Value of Preventing a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1994

Publication Title

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Volume

10

Issue

1

First page number:

1

Last page number:

4

Abstract

We estimated the medical cost savings for a case of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection prevented. Using medical care cost estimates, assumptions concerning knowledge of serostatus, time spent in various stages of HIV disease, and a discount factor, we estimated the present value of future cost savings for a case of HIV prevented, which ranged from $56,000 to $80,000. Since this method excludes both indirect costs and direct costs other than medical care, these figures underestimate the true cost savings for a case of HIV prevented. However, the method may prove useful in assigning a systematic economic value to an HIV infection averted that can be used in cost-benefit analyses of HIV prevention interventions.

Keywords

HIV infections; HIV-positive persons; Medical care; Cost of

Disciplines

Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Immune System Diseases | Public Health Education and Promotion | Virus Diseases

Language

English

Permissions

Use Find in Your Library, contact the author, or use interlibrary loan to garner a copy of the article. Publisher copyright policy allows author to archive post-print (author’s final manuscript). When post-print is available or publisher policy changes, the article will be deposited


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