Cost-effectiveness analysis of N95 respirators and medical masks to protect healthcare workers in China from respiratory infections

BMC Infectious Diseases

Research Article

Anthony T. Newall¹  Shohini Mukerji¹  Holly Seale¹  C. RainaMacIntyre²  Peng Yang³  Xiaoli Wang³  Quanyi Wang³ 

[1] School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia;School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of New South Wales, 2052, Sydney, NSW, Australia;National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (NCIRS), University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia;The Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China;

关键词: Cost-effectiveness;    Economic evaluation;    N95 respirator;    Mask;    Healthcare worker;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12879-017-2564-9

 received in 2016-09-10, accepted in 2017-06-23,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThere are substantial differences between the costs of medical masks and N95 respirators. Cost-effectiveness analysis is required to assist decision-makers evaluating alternative healthcare worker (HCW) mask/respirator strategies. This study aims to compare the cost-effectiveness of N95 respirators and medical masks for protecting HCWs in Beijing, China.MethodsWe developed a cost-effectiveness analysis model utilising efficacy and resource use data from two cluster randomised clinical trials assessing various mask/respirator strategies conducted in HCWs in Level 2 and 3 Beijing hospitals for the 2008–09 and 2009–10 influenza seasons. The main outcome measure was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per clinical respiratory illness (CRI) case prevented. We used a societal perspective which included intervention costs, the healthcare costs of CRI in HCWs and absenteeism costs.ResultsThe incremental cost to prevent a CRI case with continuous use of N95 respirators when compared to medical masks ranged from US $490–$1230 (approx. 3000-7600 RMB). One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that the CRI attack rate and intervention effectiveness had the greatest impact on cost-effectiveness.ConclusionsThe determination of cost-effectiveness for mask/respirator strategies will depend on the willingness to pay to prevent a CRI case in a HCW, which will vary between countries. In the case of a highly pathogenic pandemic, respirator use in HCWs would likely be a cost-effective intervention.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017