Cost-utility of a cardiovascular prevention program in highly educated adults: intermediate results of a randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about the costs and the effects of cardiovascular prevention programs targeted at medical and behavioral risk factors. The aim was to evaluate the cost-utility of a cardiovascular prevention program in a general sample of highly educated adults after 1 year of intervention.


METHODS
The participants were randomly assigned to intervention (n = 208) and usual care conditions (n = 106). The intervention consisted of medical interventions and optional behavior-change interventions (e.g., a tailored Web site). Cost data were registered from a healthcare perspective, and questionnaires were used to determine effectiveness (e.g., quality-adjusted life-years [QALYs]). A cost-utility analysis and sensitivity analyses using bootstrapping were performed on the intermediate results.


RESULTS
When adjusting for baseline utility differences, the incremental cost was 433 euros and the incremental effectiveness was 0.016 QALYs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 26,910 euros per QALY.


CONCLUSIONS
The intervention was cost-effective compared with usual care in this sample of highly educated adults after 1 year of intervention. Increased participation would make this intervention highly cost-effective.
Jacobs
Nele
N
Faculty of Business Economics, Patient Safety, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium. nele.jacobs@uhasselt.be
Evers
Silvia
S
Ament
Andre
A
Claes
Neree
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012907:Smoking