Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorLaw, CK
dc.contributor.authorYip, PSF
dc.date.accessioned2017-05-03T11:59:46Z
dc.date.available2017-05-03T11:59:46Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.date.modified2014-07-22T04:30:35Z
dc.identifier.issn0143-005X
dc.identifier.doi10.1136/jech.2010.115188
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10072/61569
dc.description.abstractBackground Setting physical barriers, for example platform screen doors (PSDs), has been proven to be effective in preventing falls onto railway tracks, but its cost-effectiveness is not known. For economic evaluation of public health interventions, the importance of including non-health factors has been noted despite a lack of empirical studies. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PSDs, which are installed in part of the Hong Kong railway system, for preventing railway injuries. Methods Data on railway injuries from 1997 to 2007 were obtained from the railway operators. Poisson regression was used to examine the risk reduction. Two incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated to assess the cost-effectiveness based on (1) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) only and (2) DALYs with potential fare revenue and passengers' waiting time lost due to railway circulation collapse. Results The PSD installation has effectively reduced railway injuries (adjusted 5-year average percentage change: -68.8%, p<0.0001) with no apparent substitution effect to the other platforms observed. To be cost-effective, the cost of gaining a healthy life year (ICER) should not exceed three times the per capita GDP (US$74?700). The PSD installation would only be cost-effective if the loss of fare revenue and passengers' waiting time, in addition to DALY, were included (ICER: US$65?400), while the ICER based on DALY only would be US$77?900. Conclusion The challenges of complexity for economic evaluation appear in many community-based health interventions. A more extensive perspective for exploring other outcome measurements and evaluation methods to reflect a fair and appropriate value of the intervention's cost-effectiveness is needed.
dc.description.peerreviewedYes
dc.description.publicationstatusYes
dc.format.extent96351 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherB M J Group
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdom
dc.relation.ispartofstudentpublicationN
dc.relation.ispartofpagefrom915
dc.relation.ispartofpageto920
dc.relation.ispartofjournalJournal of Epidemiology & Community Health
dc.relation.ispartofvolume65
dc.rights.retentionY
dc.subject.fieldofresearchHuman geography
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode4406
dc.titleAn economic evaluation of setting up physical barriers in railway stations for preventing railway injury: evidence from Hong Kong
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.descriptionC1 - Articles
dc.type.codeC - Journal Articles
gro.rights.copyright© The Author(s) 2011. The attached file is reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. For information about this journal please refer to the journal’s website or contact the authors.
gro.hasfulltextFull Text
gro.griffith.authorLaw, Chi Kin


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

  • Journal articles
    Contains articles published by Griffith authors in scholarly journals.

Show simple item record