Returns on Investment in California County Departments of Public Health

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the average return on investment for the overall activities of county departments of public health in California. METHODS: I gathered the elements necessary to estimate the average return on investment for county departments of public health in California during the period 2001 to 2008-2009. These came from peer-reviewed journal articles published as part of a larger project to develop a method for determining return on investment for public health by using a health economics framework. I combined these elements by using the standard formula for computing return on investment, and performed a sensitivity analysis. Then I compared the return on investment for county departments of public health with the returns on investment generated for various aspects of medical care. RESULTS: The estimated return on investment from $1 invested in county departments of public health in California ranges from $67.07 to $88.21. CONCLUSIONS: The very large estimated return on investment for California county departments of public health relative to the return on investment for selected aspects of medical care suggests that public health is a wise investment.