A systematic review of economic evaluations of public health interventions targeting alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug use and problematic gambling: Using a case study to assess transferability.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify and assess the cost-effectiveness of public health interventions targeting alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco use, and problematic gambling behavior, and to evaluate the transferability of these results to the Swedish context. The study conducted a systematic review of economic evaluations published between January 2000 and November 2018, using databases such as Medline, PsychINFO, Web of Science, the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, and Health Technology Assessment, with quality and transferability assessed using criteria from the Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment. The review included 54 relevant studies, of which 39 were of moderate to high quality and included in the analysis, though none focused on problematic gambling. Out of 91 interventions, 81 were found to be cost-effective, with a focus on taxed-based policies and screening and brief interventions. Thirteen studies were identified as having high potential for transferability to Sweden, with relevant effect estimates and feasible implementation. The study concluded that interventions targeting alcohol, illicit drug use, and tobacco use are cost-effective and potentially transferable to the Swedish setting, but cautioned that cost estimates and the quality of evidence should be carefully considered.