Evidence of improving cost-effectiveness of pediatric cochlear implantation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the cost-effectiveness of pediatric cochlear implantation over time.


METHODS
A prospective study based on ninety-eight children implanted between 1989 and 1996 at Nottingham's Paediatric Cochlear Implantation Programme, UK. The influence of outcomes and other variables on total costs was examined using multivariate regression analysis.


RESULTS
Having controlled for potential confounding variables, total cost was negatively related to year of implant and positively related to the number of hours of rehabilitation (p=.000).


CONCLUSIONS
Having controlled for outcomes (Categories of Auditory Performance and Speech Intelligibility Rating), the cost-effectiveness improved over time. This finding may be due to a learning curve and have policy implications.
Sach
T
T
School of Economics, University of Nottingham, England. lexths@nottingham.ac.uk
O'Neill
C
C
Whynes
D K
DK
Archbold
S M
SM
O'Donoghue
G M
GM
D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000191:economics* / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000592:standards; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000639:trends*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical / Q000191:economics; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom