Cost-Effectiveness of a Home Based Intervention for Secondary Prevention of Readmission with Chronic Heart Disease

PLoS One. 2015 Dec 10;10(12):e0144545. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144545. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The aim of this study is to consider the cost-effectiveness of a nurse-led, home-based intervention (HBI) in cardiac patients with private health insurance compared to usual post-discharge care. A within trial analysis of the Young @ Heart multicentre, randomized controlled trial along with a micro-simulation decision analytical model was conducted to estimate the incremental costs and quality adjusted life years associated with the home based intervention compared to usual care. For the micro-simulation model, future costs, from the perspective of the funder, and effects are estimated over a twenty-year time horizon. An Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio, along with Incremental Net Monetary Benefit, is evaluated using a willingness to pay threshold of $50,000 per quality adjusted life year. Sub-group analyses are conducted for men and women across three age groups separately. Costs and benefits that arise in the future are discounted at five percent per annum. Overall, home based intervention for secondary prevention in patients with chronic heart disease identified in the Australian private health care sector is not cost-effective. The estimated within trial incremental net monetary benefit is -$3,116 [95% CI: -11,145, $4,914]; indicating that the costs outweigh the benefits. However, for males and in particular males aged 75 years and above, home based intervention indicated a potential to reduce health care costs when compared to usual care (within trial: -$10,416 [95% CI: -$26,745, $5,913]; modelled analysis: -$1,980 [95% CI: -$22,843, $14,863]). This work provides a crucial impetus for future research to understand for whom disease management programs are likely to benefit most.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Chronic Disease
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Female
  • Heart Diseases / economics*
  • Heart Diseases / therapy
  • Home Care Services / economics*
  • Home Care Services / statistics & numerical data
  • Hospitalization / economics
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Economic
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care / economics
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Patient Readmission / economics*
  • Patient Readmission / statistics & numerical data
  • Quality of Life
  • Quality-Adjusted Life Years
  • Secondary Prevention / economics*
  • Secondary Prevention / methods

Grants and funding

The Young@Heart trial was funded by Bupa Australia. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.