Suicide as an indicator of quality of life: Evidence from dialysis patients

Citation
Jm. Ford et Dl. Kaserman, Suicide as an indicator of quality of life: Evidence from dialysis patients, CONT ECON P, 18(4), 2000, pp. 440-448
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Economics
Journal title
CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC POLICY
ISSN journal
10743529 → ACNP
Volume
18
Issue
4
Year of publication
2000
Pages
440 - 448
Database
ISI
SICI code
1074-3529(200010)18:4<440:SAAIOQ>2.0.ZU;2-H
Abstract
Quality of life has been measured in many different ways for patients with chronic medical conditions. What is unique about the approach used here is that it uses suicide rates as a relatively objective measure of quality of life within the population of dialysis patients. Using a Heckman selection model, we estimate the relative suicide rates across patients undergoing bo th hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Our empirical results show that pa tients on hemodialysis have relatively lower suicide rates after controllin g for other factors. Specifically, our results indicate that 141 fewer suic ides will occur for every 1,000 patients shifted from peritoneal to hemodia lysis. prior estimates of the higher costs of the latter modality yield an estimated expenditure of $42,043 per suicide avoided. (JEL I18, L84, I31).