Cost and threshold analysis of positive charge, a multi-site linkage to HIV care program in the United States

AIDS Behav. 2015 Oct;19(10):1735-41. doi: 10.1007/s10461-015-1124-9.

Abstract

Positive Charge (PC) is a linkage to HIV care initiative implemented by AIDS United with sites in New York, Chicago, Louisiana, North Carolina, and the San Francisco/Bay Area. This study employed standard methods of cost and threshold analyses, as recommended by the US Panel on Cost-effectiveness in Health and Medicine, to calculate cost-saving and cost effective thresholds of the initiative. The overall societal cost of the linkage to care programs ranged from $48,490 to $370,525. The study found that PC's five unique evidence-based linkage to care programs have relatively low costs per client served and highly achievable cost-saving and cost-effectiveness thresholds. The findings from this study suggest that HIV linkage to care programs have the potential to be a highly productive use of public health resources.

Keywords: Cost-effective analysis; Economic evaluation; HIV prevention.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-HIV Agents / economics*
  • Anti-HIV Agents / therapeutic use
  • Community Health Services / economics*
  • Continuity of Patient Care / economics*
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis / methods
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • HIV Infections / economics*
  • HIV Infections / therapy*
  • HIV Infections / transmission
  • Health Care Costs / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Models, Economic
  • National Health Programs
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care
  • United States

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents