Faculty Collaboration Database

Setting standards for the Wisconsin HIV Counseling and Testing Program: an application of threshold analysis. J Public Health Manag Pract 1997 Sep;3(5):42-9

Date

08/05/1997

Pubmed ID

10183170

DOI

10.1097/00124784-199709000-00007

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0031217055 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   4 Citations

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling and testing (CT) services are an important component of any comprehensive HIV prevention program. Because resources are limited and must be used wisely, it is important to determine if the expenditures on CT services are sufficiently effective that they might be considered cost-saving or cost-effective to society. The policy analysis technique of "threshold analysis" was employed to determine how many HIV infections the publicly funded Wisconsin CT program would have to prevent in order to be considered cost-saving or cost-effective. Depending on the calculation method used, the threshold for the minimum number of HIV infections that must be averted ranges between approximately 1 and 18 (for the year 1994). Although the exact number of HIV infections prevented by these services in Wisconsin in unknown, the best estimate of this number is well over the required threshold. Hence, HIV CT services in the state of Wisconsin appear to be cost-saving to society.

Author List

Holtgrave DR, DiFranceisco W, Reiser WJ, Resenhoeft R, Hoxie NJ, Pinkerton SD, Vergeront JM

Author

Wayne J. DiFranceisco Research Scientist II in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Cost of Illness
Counseling
HIV Infections
Humans
Population Surveillance
Wisconsin