A project was launched with the explicit aim of developing a computerized model which could calculate at any given moment the direct medical costs of injuries suffered in the Netherlands. The methodology was developed by the Working Group on the Costs of Injury. The European Consumer Safety Association (ECOSA) organized several conferences on the burden of injuries. During one such conference it was recommended to establish an international working group which should specify standardized methodologies for gathering appropriate information. ECOSA launched such a Working Group in 1995, in which nine countries (twelve members) participated. The aim of the multidisciplinary Working Group is to develop a tool to assess the societal costs of injuries in Europe as an aid to priority setting and risk management decision making in injury control in particular. This paper reviews progress to date.
Abstract