title: Modeling the cost-effectiveness of health care systems for alcohol use disorders: how implementation of eHealth interventions improves cost-effectiveness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Informing policy decisions about the cost-effectiveness of health care systems (ie, packages of clinical interventions) is probably best done using a modeling approach. To this end, an alcohol model (ALCMOD) was developed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of ALCMOD is to estimate the cost-effectiveness of competing health care systems in curbing alcohol use at the national level. This is illustrated for scenarios where new eHealth technologies for alcohol use disorders are introduced in the Dutch health care system.
  
  
  METHODS
  ALCMOD assesses short-term (12-month) incremental cost-effectiveness in terms of reductions in disease burden, that is, disability adjusted life years (DALYs) and health care budget impacts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Introduction of new eHealth technologies would substantially increase the cost-effectiveness of the Dutch health care system for alcohol use disorders: every euro spent under the current system returns a value of about the same size (€1.08, ie, a "surplus" of 8 euro cents) while the new health care system offers much better returns on investment, that is, every euro spent generates €1.62 in health-related value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the best available evidence, ALCMOD's computations suggest that implementation of new eHealth technologies would make the Dutch health care system more cost-effective. This type of information may help (1) to identify opportunities for system innovation, (2) to set agendas for further research, and (3) to inform policy decisions about resource allocation.
authors.affiliation: Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction), Centre of Prevention and Brief Intervention, Utrecht, Netherlands. fsmit@trimbos.nl
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: Joran
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lokkerbol
authors.forename: Heleen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Riper
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Majo
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boon
authors.forename: Matthijs
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blankers
mesh_terms: D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000191:economics*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000191:economics*; D018803:Models, Economic; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics; D009426:Netherlands; D011050:Policy Making