Economic Evaluation in Occupational Health and Safety in Healthcare: A Review of Evidence and Best Practices

Background: Occupational health and safety (OHS) is essential in healthcare settings to protect staff from workplace hazards, including infectious agents, chemical exposures, and musculoskeletal injuries, while ensuring high-quality patient care. Despite significant investment in healthcare infrastructure, staff remain at risk of injury, illness, and burnout, which increases absenteeism, reduces productivity, and elevates operational costs.This review aims to summarize evidence on the economic evaluation of OHS interventions in hospitals and healthcare centers, highlighting cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness outcomes and their impact on employee well-being and organizational efficiency. Methods: A narrative review of studies published between ۲۰۱۰ and ۲۰۲۵ was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Keywords included “Occupational Health Economics,” “Cost-effectiveness,” “Cost-benefit Analysis,” “Healthcare Safety Programs,” and “Employee Safety.” Studies reporting economic assessments of preventive OHS interventions, such as vaccination, ergonomics, personal protective equipment (PPE), and safety training, were included. Results: Evidence shows that preventive OHS strategies consistently yield substantial economic benefits by reducing direct medical costs, compensation claims, absenteeism, presenteeism, and staff turnover. Interventions also improve employee morale, decrease burnout, and foster a positive safety culture, supporting long-term workforce sustainability. Conclusion: Integrating economic evaluation into OHS planning enables healthcare administrators to prioritize high-impact interventions, optimize resource allocation, and enhance both employee well-being and organizational efficiency. Evidence-based, economically justified OHS programs are crucial for maintaining a safe, healthy, and productive healthcare workforce.

کلیدواژه ها:

Occupational Health ، Safety ، Economic Evaluation ، Healthcare ، Cost-effectiveness