Cost-effectiveness of work-site blood pressure control programs.

The cost-effectiveness of work-site hypertension programs was examined at three manufacturing plants. A fourth plant was used as a control site to estimate expected levels of hypertension control from screening without further intervention. The annual cost per hypertensive employee of the three intervention programs was $26.26 for semiannual follow-up, $35 for full follow-up, and $96.19 for on-site treatment. Each intervention resulted in an additional 1% of hypertensive employees maintained under control, per dollar spent annually, with the highest cost per unit of effectiveness being incurred for free on-site treatment. Cost-effectiveness may vary considerably, however, depending on the additional costs a company may incur as a result of program adoption.