Disseminating Effective Behavioral Interventions for HIV Prevention

A Cost Analysis of a Risk-Reduction Intervention for Drug Users

Abstract

Economic evaluations of researched HIV-prevention interventions assist service providers in decision making and can help disseminate effective interventions into practice. The study described in this article presents a cost analysis of an intervention that was effective in a research setting. This article also provides threshold analyses that set performance standards to determine if an intervention is cost-effective or cost-saving. From a service provider's perspective, the cost for this intervention is estimated at $50306.40 for one year (for 150 clients). The base-case, cost per client of this intervention is estimated at $335.38. Threshold analyses revealed that in order for Safety Point to be considered cost-saving, it should avert at least 0.411 HIV infections per 150 clients.