Assessing the cost-effectiveness of alcohol services

Abstract

Appropriate interventions may be one means of reducing the sizeable individual and social costs associated with alcohol misuse but, with health and social care funding under pressure in many countries, such interventions need to be shown to be cost-effective. This paper contains a discussion of the issues involved in undertaking economic evaluations of alcohol interventions and also a critical examination of available research. The major questions that have been addressed by existing studies are: whether the cost of alcohol treatment is offset by a reduction in other health care costs; whether the costs of the provision of alcohol services are outweighed by the benefits; and which settings and modes of services are the most cost-effective. Evidence from both clinical and economic interventions indicates that low cost interventions may be as effective as more expensive treatments for many, but not all, problem drinkers. Matching services to clients may improve outcomes and result in interventions being cost beneficial to society as a whole.