Cost-effectiveness Analysis of N95 Respirators and Medical Masks to Protect Healthcare Workers in China from Respiratory Infections

Overview

Journal BMC Infect Dis

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2017 Jul 5

PMID 28673259

Citations 16

Authors

Shohini Mukerji

C Raina MacIntyre

Holly Seale

Quanyi Wang

Peng Yang

Xiaoli Wang

Anthony T Newall

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: There are substantial differences between the costs of medical masks and N95 respirators. Cost-effectiveness analysis is required to assist decision-makers evaluating alternative healthcare worker (HCW) mask/respirator strategies. This study aims to compare the cost-effectiveness of N95 respirators and medical masks for protecting HCWs in Beijing, China.

Methods: We developed a cost-effectiveness analysis model utilising efficacy and resource use data from two cluster randomised clinical trials assessing various mask/respirator strategies conducted in HCWs in Level 2 and 3 Beijing hospitals for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 influenza seasons. The main outcome measure was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per clinical respiratory illness (CRI) case prevented. We used a societal perspective which included intervention costs, the healthcare costs of CRI in HCWs and absenteeism costs.

Results: The incremental cost to prevent a CRI case with continuous use of N95 respirators when compared to medical masks ranged from US $490-$1230 (approx. 3000-7600 RMB). One-way sensitivity analysis indicated that the CRI attack rate and intervention effectiveness had the greatest impact on cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions: The determination of cost-effectiveness for mask/respirator strategies will depend on the willingness to pay to prevent a CRI case in a HCW, which will vary between countries. In the case of a highly pathogenic pandemic, respirator use in HCWs would likely be a cost-effective intervention.

Citing Articles

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Respirators in Healthcare: Material, Design, Regulatory, Environmental, and Economic Considerations for Clinical Efficacy.

Young C, Byrne J, Wentworth A, Collins J, Chu J, Traverso G Glob Chall. 2022; :2200001.

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Wang Q, Shi N, Huang J, Yang L, Cui T, Ai J Front Public Health. 2022; 9:726690.

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