NCJ Number
148077
Journal
Health Affairs Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: special issue (Winter 1993) Pages: 171-185
Date Published
1993
Length
15 pages
Annotation
The author discusses the methodology for estimating losses due to firearm injuries.
Abstract
The methodology involves estimating direct and indirect costs and life years lost. Direct costs include spending for hospitals and long-term care, physician and other professional services, rehabilitation, medications, emergency transportation, medical equipment, supplies, and home modifications. Indirect costs means the value of lost productivity. This methodology is applied to firearm injury data from 1985. Estimates are then updated for 1990, taking into account changes in the number of injuries, patterns of health care use, and inflation. In 1990, losses due to firearm injuries totaled an estimated $20.4 billion--$1.4 billion in direct health care costs, $1.6 billion in lost productivity due to injury, and $17.4 billion in lost productivity due to premature death. These figures likely are underestimations, as they are based on old data and on many assumptions necessitated by data gaps. Yet, they are critical to any rational debate on firearm policy. To create a more informed policy, data collection must be refined. Chart, 7 tables, 33 references