Lifetime health systems costs of women who experience intimate partner violence

Background

Our project quantifies the lifetime healthcare costs of women who experience domestic violence. The healthcare costs considered refer to government-funded expenditure through Medicare and relate to both in-patient hospital and out-of-hospital care (such as general practitioner visits). We will also consider costs through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The results will be used to inform health policy and domestic violence services to ultimately better support affected women.

Aim

The aim of the project is to quantify the lifetime health system costs of women who experience domestic violence. We quantify these costs for out-of-hospital, pharmaceutical and hospital sectors.

Methods

A microsimulation model is used to predict future costs for each woman eligible for the study in the 1973–78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Cost data is derived for individual women through linkage to over 20 years of administrative health records. Statistical learning techniques are used to model cost and future life transitions are derived by domestic violence status using older cohorts of the ALSWH.

Significance

Understanding the lifetime health cost of domestic violence will further the evidence base on the long-term adverse nature of domestic violence. In particular, we will be providing evidence on how the cost escalates over an individual's lifetime and the urgent need for early intervention for affected women to improve their lifetime health outcomes and also reduce health costs over the long term.

Funding Body

The Department of Health funds the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Additional funding through ANU, Research School of Finance, Actuarial Studies and Statistics

Project start date

January 2019

Expected completion date

December 2024