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Public health
Research
A pharmacoeconomic approach to assessing the costs and benefits of air quality interventions that improve health: a case study
  1. James Lomas1,
  2. Laetitia Schmitt2,
  3. Sally Jones3,
  4. Maureen McGeorge4,
  5. Elizabeth Bates3,5,
  6. Mike Holland6,
  7. Duncan Cooper7,
  8. Richard Crowther8,
  9. Mike Ashmore1,
  10. David Rojas-Rueda9,
  11. Helen Weatherly1,
  12. Gerry Richardson1,
  13. Laura Bojke1
  1. 1University of York, Centre for Health Economics, York, UK
  2. 2Academic Unit of Health Economics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
  3. 3City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Bradford, UK
  4. 4Improvement Academy, Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network, UK
  5. 5City of York Council, York, UK
  6. 6Ecometrics Research and Consulting, Reading, UK
  7. 7Wakefield Council, Wakefield, UK
  8. 8Leeds City Council, Leeds, UK
  9. 9CREAL (Centre de Recerca en Epidmiologia Ambiental)
  1. Correspondence to Dr James Lomas; james.lomas{at}york.ac.uk

Abstract

Objective This paper explores the use of pharmacoeconomic methods of valuation to health impacts resulting from exposure to poor air quality. In using such methods, interventions that reduce exposure to poor air quality can be directly compared, in terms of value for money (or cost-effectiveness), with competing demands for finite resources, including other public health interventions.

Design Using results estimated as part of a health impact assessment regarding a West Yorkshire Low Emission Zone strategy, this paper quantifies cost-saving and health-improving implications of transport policy through its impact on air quality.

Data source Estimates of health-related quality of life and the National Health Service (NHS)/Personal Social Services (PSS) costs for identified health events were based on data from Leeds and Bradford using peer-reviewed publications or Office for National Statistics releases.

Population Inhabitants of the area within the outer ring roads of Leeds and Bradford.

Main outcomes measures NHS and PSS costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs).

Results Averting an all-cause mortality death generates 8.4 QALYs. Each coronary event avoided saves £28 000 in NHS/PSS costs and generates 1.1 QALYs. For every fewer case of childhood asthma, there will be NHS/PSS cost saving of £3000 and a health benefit of 0.9 QALYs. A single term, low birthweight birth avoided saves £2000 in NHS/PSS costs. Preventing a preterm birth saves £24 000 in NHS/PSS costs and generates 1.3 QALYs. A scenario modelled in the West Yorkshire Low Emission Zone Feasibility Study, where pre-EURO 4 buses and HGVs are upgraded to EURO 6 by 2016 generates an annual benefit of £2.08 million and a one-off benefit of £3.3 million compared with a net present value cost of implementation of £6.3 million.

Conclusions Interventions to improve air quality and health should be evaluated and where improvement of population health is the primary objective, cost-effectiveness analysis using a NHS/PSS costs and QALYs framework is an appropriate methodology.

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010686

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