@article{ref1,
title="Preventing deaths and injuries from house fires: a cost-benefit analysis of a community-based smoke alarm installation programme",
journal="Injury prevention",
year="2018",
author="Yellman, Merissa A. and Peterson, Cora and McCoy, Mary A. and Stephens-Stidham, Shelli and Caton, Emily and Barnard, Jeffrey J. and Padgett, Ted O. and Florence, Curtis and Istre, Gregory R.",
volume="24",
number="1",
pages="12-18",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Operation Installation (OI), a community-based smoke alarm installation programme in Dallas, Texas, targets houses in high-risk urban census tracts. Residents of houses that received OI installation (or programme houses) had 68% fewer medically treated house fire injuries (non-fatal and fatal) compared with residents of non-programme houses over an average of 5.2 years of follow-up during an effectiveness evaluation conducted from 2001 to 2011. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: To estimate the cost-benefit of OI. <br><br>METHODS: A mathematical model incorporated programme cost and effectiveness data as directly observed in OI. The estimated cost per smoke alarm installed was based on a retrospective analysis of OI expenditures from administrative records, 2006-2011. Injury incidence assumptions for a population that had the OI programme compared with the same population without the OI programme was based on the previous OI effectiveness study, 2001-2011. Unit costs for medical care and lost productivity associated with fire injuries were from a national public database. <br><br>RESULTS: From a combined payers' perspective limited to direct programme and medical costs, the estimated incremental cost per fire injury averted through the OI installation programme was $128,800 (2013 US$). When a conservative estimate of lost productivity among victims was included, the incremental cost per fire injury averted was negative, suggesting long-term cost savings from the programme. The OI programme from 2001 to 2011 resulted in an estimated net savings of $3.8 million, or a $3.21 return on investment for every dollar spent on the programme using a societal cost perspective. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Community smoke alarm installation programmes could be cost-beneficial in high-fire-risk neighbourhoods.<br><br>Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1353-8047",
doi="10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042247",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2016-042247"
}