Hospital-centered violence intervention programs: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Trauma Surgery
• Health Economics

Background:

• Hospital-centered violence intervention programs (HVIPs) are known to reduce violent injury recidivism.
• Dedicated cost analyses for HVIPs are lacking in published literature.
• This study investigates the cost-effectiveness of an urban trauma center's HVIP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the HVIP at an urban trauma center is a cost-effective intervention for reducing violent injury recidivism.
• To compare the costs and outcomes of HVIP participation versus standard risk reduction for firearm violence survivors.

Main Methods:

• A cost-utility analysis was performed using a state-transition (Markov) decision model.
• The model compared the HVIP against standard risk reduction for firearm-injured patients.
• Model inputs were sourced from the trauma registry and existing literature.

Main Results:

• The 1-year recidivism rate was 2.5% for HVIP participants versus 4% for standard care.
• Per-person costs were comparable: $3,574 for HVIP and $3,515 for standard referrals.
• The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the HVIP was $2,941.

Conclusions:

• The HVIP at this urban trauma center is a cost-effective strategy.
• It effectively prevents recurrent violent injuries among firearm-injured patients.
• HVIPs represent a valuable public health intervention for violence prevention.