What Is the Social Cost of Injured People in Traffic Collisions? An Assessment for Catalonia

BACKGROUND: : Traffic collisions are an important public health problem worldwide, in terms of mortality, morbidity, and economic burden. The goal of this study is to estimate the social cost of injured people in traffic collisions in Catalonia in the year 2007. METHODS: : We performed a cost-of-illness analysis, under the perspective of the healthcare system, the public sector, and the society, using a 1-year time horizon. In Catalonia, during 2007, there were a total of 26,063 collisions with victims, which translates into 34,565 non-mortal victims and 521 deaths. As direct costs, all healthcare costs (primary care, acute hospital care, emergency care, ambulances and transport, long-term care, and specialized care); costs of adaptation to disability, disability benefits, material costs, and administrative costs; and costs of police, fire-fighters, and road assistance have been included. As indirect costs, productivity losses as a result of hospital and long-term institutionalization as well as productivity losses from work sick leave and productivity losses of carers have been taken into account. RESULTS: : From the perspective of the healthcare system, the cost of the injured people in traffic collisions was 31,803,024.03€ in 2007; from the perspective of the public sector, it was 134,047,059.27€ (up to 1,463,645,407.13€ in the sensitivity analysis) and 144,043,238.88€ (up to 1,558,926,995.12€ in the sensitivity analysis) from the perspective of the society. The cost per injured person ranged from 3,855.38€ from the perspective of the healthcare system to 17,461.90€ from the perspective of the society (up to 188,983.76€ in the sensitivity analysis). CONCLUSIONS: : The importance of the costs of injured people in traffic collisions is an argument more-besides the epidemiologic and social impact-to start off preventive policies. Language: en