TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Estimating the cost-effectiveness of brief interventions for heavy drinking in primary health care across Europe
JO  - European journal of public health
A1  - Angus, Colin
A1  - Thomas, Chloe
A1  - Anderson, Peter
A1  - Meier, Petra S.
A1  - Brennan, Alan
SP  - 345
EP  - 351
VL  - 27
IS  - 2
N2  - BACKGROUND: 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. <br><br>METHODS: 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. <br><br>RESULTS: 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. <br><br>CONCLUSION: 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.<br><br>© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1101-1262
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckw122
ID  - ref1
ER  -