Abstract
The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) was conducted across four states with the goal of decreasing opioid-related overdose deaths by increasing community-level adoption of evidence-based practices (EBPs). Providing communities with training, technical assistance, and resources to aid them in addressing opioid overdoses was central to the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention. The intervention included 1) community engagement (CE) to facilitate data-driven EBP selection and implementation, 2) a menu of EBPs to implement, and 3) communication campaigns.
We performed an economic cost analysis for the 33 communities implementing CTH over a 30-month intervention period in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. Cost data were obtained from community members, consultants, and research faculty and staff. This study focuses on the communities’ perspective and reports costs paid directly with HCS funds and the opportunity costs of community members’ time and other unreimbursed resources. We report average costs across communities and for each component of the CTH.
The average cost per community of CE was $1,030,405, EBPs was $668,030, and communication campaigns was $235,915. The total community cost of CE was $34,003,373, of EBP implementation was $22,044,987, of communications campaign was $7,785,182.
Our study provides insight into the scope and value of resources incurred to implement community-based interventions to reduce opioid overdose deaths across four states.
•This economic analysis of HCS represents one of the largest ever performed in the US•Economic costs incurred by communities of implementing the CTH exceeded $63 million•The average cost per intervention community was $1.9 million.•Nearly $19 million was directly invested in implementing evidence-based strategies•The cost of unpaid time of community members and their associates was $17 million