Costs and Benefits of HIV-1 Antibody Testing of Donated Blood

Abstract

Costs and benefits of the testing protocol for screening donated blood for the HIV-1 virus are evaluated. Estimates are made of the number of HIV-1 infections and cases of AIDS prevented in a year by blood testing, as well as the costs of providing this risk reduction. The risk reduction provided by alternative tests such as the HIV-1 antigen test is also discussed. The value of the risk reduction provided by blood testing is generated utilizing willingness-to-pay value-of-life estimates. The findings indicate that the present testing protocol is cost beneficial and support the FDA decision not to recommend the HIV-1 antigen test for use in donor testing. Policy decisions concerning present and future testing protocols are discussed, and implications for broadening our model to include indirect benefits of donor testing are evaluated.

Department(s)

Economics

Keywords and Phrases

Human immunodeficiency virus antibody, acquired immune deficiency syndrome; blood; blood bank; blood donor; blood examination; clinical protocol; cost benefit analysis; disease transmission; economics; health services research; human; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human immunodeficiency virus infection; infection control; information processing; methodology; review; risk management; socioeconomics, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Blood Banks; Blood Donors; Clinical Protocols; Communicable Disease Control; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Data Collection; Health Services Research; Hematologic Tests; HIV Antibodies; HIV Seropositivity; HIV-1; Human; Risk Management; Value of Life

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0276-8739; 1520-6688

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 1993 Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jul 1993

PubMed ID

10127358

Link to Full Text

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