Patricia Cubí-Mollá

Quality of life lost due to non-fatal road traffic injuries

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the effect of a non-fatal road crash on the health-related quality of life of injured people. A new approach based on the cardinalization of categorical Self-Assessed Health valuations is suggested. Health losses have been estimated by using different Time Trade-off and Visual Analogue Scale tariffs, in order to assess the robustness of the results. The methodology is based on the existing literature about treatment effects. Our main contribution focuses on evaluating the loss of health up to 1 year after the non-fatal accident, for those who are non-institutionalized, which aids the appropriate estimation of the aggregated health losses in quality-of-life terms.

Pérdidas laborales atribuibles a la mortalidad prematura por lesiones de tránsito entre 2002 y 2012

OBJECTIVE To estimate the years of potential life lost, years of potential productive life lost and the labor productivity losses attributable to premature deaths due to traffic injuries between 2002 and 2012 in Spain. METHOD Several statistical sources were combined (Spanish Registry of Deaths, Labor Force Survey and Wage Structure Survey) to develop a simulation model based on the human capital approach. This model allowed us to estimate the loss of labor productivity caused by premature deaths following traffic injuries from 2002 to 2012. In addition, mortality tables with life expectancy estimates were used to compute years of potential life lost and years of potential productive life lost. RESULTS The estimated loss of labour productivity caused by fatal traffic injuries between 2002 and 2012 in Spain amounted to 9,521 million euros (baseline year 2012). The aggregate number of years of potential life lost in the period amounted to 1,433,103, whereas the years of potential productive life lost amounted to 875,729. Throughout the period analyzed, labor productivity losses and years of life lost diminished substantially. CONCLUSIONS Labor productivity losses due to fatal traffic injuries decreased throughout the period analyzed. Nevertheless, the cumulative loss was alarmingly high. Estimation of the economic impact of health problems can complement conventional indicators of distinct dimensions and be used to support public policy making.

MonográficoPérdidas laborales atribuibles a la mortalidad prematura por lesiones de tránsito entre 2002 y 2012Labor productivity losses attributable to premature deaths due to traffic injuries between 2002 and 2012

OBJECTIVE To estimate the years of potential life lost, years of potential productive life lost and the labor productivity losses attributable to premature deaths due to traffic injuries between 2002 and 2012 in Spain. METHOD Several statistical sources were combined (Spanish Registry of Deaths, Labor Force Survey and Wage Structure Survey) to develop a simulation model based on the human capital approach. This model allowed us to estimate the loss of labor productivity caused by premature deaths following traffic injuries from 2002 to 2012. In addition, mortality tables with life expectancy estimates were used to compute years of potential life lost and years of potential productive life lost. RESULTS The estimated loss of labour productivity caused by fatal traffic injuries between 2002 and 2012 in Spain amounted to 9,521 million euros (baseline year 2012). The aggregate number of years of potential life lost in the period amounted to 1,433,103, whereas the years of potential productive life lost amounted to 875,729. Throughout the period analyzed, labor productivity losses and years of life lost diminished substantially. CONCLUSIONS Labor productivity losses due to fatal traffic injuries decreased throughout the period analyzed. Nevertheless, the cumulative loss was alarmingly high. Estimation of the economic impact of health problems can complement conventional indicators of distinct dimensions and be used to support public policy making.

Estimating health effects in quality-of-life terms: health losses following road crashes

Currently, measures of disability and health-related quality of life are becoming important, even essential, parameters in the evaluation of treatment and prevention strategies for reducing the burden of injury. The estimation of the ‘health effect’ induced by these policies should incorporate several important aspects: the proper definition of health effect, at individual and aggregate levels; the correct selection of a health metric; the accurate estimation of the short-term effect (direct health gain/loss) and long-term effect (total of health gain/loss throughout the life of the individual) that injuries may produce; and the suitable selection and management of databases. This review article focuses on the particular topic of road crashes, but the analysis can be extended to any sort of injury.