OBJECTIVES

: Needle-stick Injury (NSI), one of the most common occupational injuries among healthcare workers (HCWs) with possible transmissions of life-threatening blood-borne viruses, can potentially result in direct/indirect costs and impair psychological well-being. With large population of HCWs in China, it is necessary to estimate the economic burden of NSI on HCWs.

METHODS

: An economic model from societal perspective was developed to estimate the economic burden of NSI among HCWs in China. The following parameters were included: costs of testing source patients, and HCWs; costs of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and HCWs follow-up examinations; and costs of Hepatitis B virus/Hepatitis C Virus/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HBV/HCV/HIV) treatment in the event of a seroconversion. Data defining incidence of NSI, tests after NSI, PEP and follow-up tests were obtained from literature while their unit costs were average prices from public websites in Shanghai, Chengdu, Liaoning, and Beijing in China. Transition probabilities, NSI incidence, prognosis of HBV/HCV/HIV infection and infection treatment costs were obtained from literature and KOL survey. Additionally, indirect costs of productivity loss resulted from NSI incidence and possible seroconversion were retrieved from literature. One-way sensitivity analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

: Total direct costs of tests after NSI, PEP, follow-up tests and infection treatment was ¥529 per NSI while total indirect costs after NSI and infection was ¥188 per NSI. Considering the population of HCWs in China, the total societal economic burden of NSI was estimated to reach ¥5.93 billion/year. The one-way sensitivity analysis indicated that total cost per NSI ranged from ¥646 to ¥909 per NSI, which corresponds to total societal economic burden ranged from ¥5.33 billion/year to ¥7.52 billion/year.

CONCLUSIONS

: The economic burden of NSI is considerable. With intangible costs unmeasured, this underestimation could make the actual burden even heavier. Hospital-administrators and decision-makers should raise awareness, improve education, and adapt new and safer technologies to reduce NSI.