Using the STIC (Sexually Transmitted Infection Costs) Figure Application to Demonstrate Economic Benefits of STD/HIV Programs

Background:  In 2007, the STIC Figure application was released as a tool to help STD/HIV programs demonstrate the economic benefits of the work they do. The STIC Figure application is a spreadsheet to estimate the direct medical costs and indirect costs saved.

Objectives: To understand how STD/HIV programs have used the STIC Figure application in various ways to demonstrate economic benefits.

Methods: To understand how STD/HIV programs have used the STIC Figure application in various ways to demonstrate economic benefits.

Results: Many project areas have used the STIC Figure application. Many cited using the application to seek additional funding at the local or state level. A project area used it when applying for a state block grant for gonorrhea and Chlamydia screening. It was also used to evaluate the efficacy of program activities which then informed funding decisions. A project area monitoring Chlamydia screening at juvenile detention facilities used the application to determine cost-benefit and which sites to continue funding. Another project area used it to bolster staff morale and reward employees.

Conclusions: Although estimating the economic impact of STD/HIV prevention is an inexact exercise, the equations we developed can provide a useful approximation. In these dire economic times, the STIC Figure application can be used in a variety of ways to positively impact STD/HIV program activities.

Implications for Programs, Policy, and/or Research: Using routinely collected data, the STIC Figure application can be a practical tool for STD/HIV program personnel to generate evidence-based estimates of the economic impact of their program. Conference participants will be able to use an interactive display to calculate cost savings using the tool.