The cost-effectiveness of improving diabetes care in U.S. federally qualified community health centers.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of improving diabetes care with the Health Disparities Collaborative (HDC), a national collaborative quality improvement (QI) program conducted in community health centers (HCs).


METHODS
Data regarding the impact of the Diabetes HDC program came from a serial cross-sectional follow-up study (1998, 2000, 2002) of the program in 17 Midwestern HCs. Data inputs for the simulation model of diabetes came from the latest clinical trials and epidemiological studies.


METHODS
We conducted a societal cost-effectiveness analysis, incorporating data from QI program evaluation into a Monte Carlo simulation model of diabetes.


METHODS
Data on diabetes care processes and risk factor levels were extracted from medical charts of randomly selected patients.


RESULTS
From 1998 to 2002, multiple processes of care (e.g., glycosylated hemoglobin testing [HbA1C] [71-->92 percent] and ACE inhibitor prescribing [33-->55 percent]) and risk factor levels (e.g., 1998 mean HbA1C 8.53 percent, mean difference 0.45 percent [95 percent confidence intervals -0.72, -0.17]) improved significantly. With these improvements, the HDC was estimated to reduce the lifetime incidence of blindness (17-->15 percent), end-stage renal disease (18-->15 percent), and coronary artery disease (28-->24 percent). The average improvement in quality-adjusted life year (QALY) was 0.35 and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $33,386/QALY.


CONCLUSIONS
During the first 4 years of the HDC, multiple improvements in diabetes care were observed. If these improvements are maintained or enhanced over the lifetime of patients, the HDC program will be cost-effective for society based on traditionally accepted thresholds.
Huang
Elbert S
ES
The University of Chicago, 5841 S, Maryland Avenue, MC 2007, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Zhang
Qi
Q
Brown
Sydney E S
SE
Drum
Melinda L
ML
Meltzer
David O
DO
Chin
Marshall H
MH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012307:Risk Factors
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin