As a public administrator in a healthcare setting, you are given two study proposals requesting $1M, but can only fund one. Both conditions have similar mortality. Based solely on the following data, which do you fund and why?

Disease “1”

Rate = 5 per 100,000 per year in the presence of exposure “X”

Rate = 1 per 100,000 per year in the absence of exposure “X”

RR associated with exposure “X” = 5 / 1 = 20

Risk Difference = 5 – 1 = 4 per 100,000 per year

Disease “2”

Rate = 500 per 100,000 per year in the presence of exposure “Y”

Rate = 100 per 100,000 per year in the absence of exposure “Y”

RR associated with exposure “Y” = 500 / 100 = 20

Risk Difference = 500 – 100 = 400 per 100,000 per year

Proposal A: Implementation of a program targeted at controlling exposure “X”

Proposal B: Implementation of a program targeted at controlling exposure “Y”