Estimating the net benefit of a specialized return-to-work program for workers on short-term disability related to a mental disorder: an example exploring investment in collaborative care.
OBJECTIVE
This article estimates the net benefit for a company incorporating a collaborative care model into its return-to-work program for workers on short-term disability related to a mental disorder.


METHODS
Employing a simple decision model, the net benefit and uncertainty were explored.


RESULTS
The breakeven point occurs when the average short-term disability episode is reduced by at least 7 days. In addition, 85% of the time, benefits could outweigh costs.


CONCLUSIONS
Model results and sensitivity analyses indicate that organizational benefits can be greater than the costs of incorporating a collaborative care model into a return-to-work program for workers on short-term disability related to a mental disorder. The results also demonstrate how the probability of a program's effectiveness and the magnitude of its effectiveness are key factors that determine whether the benefits of a program outweigh its costs.
From the Centre for Research on Employment and Workplace Health (Dr Dewa), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Department of Psychiatry; and Centre for Excellence in Economic Analysis Research (Dr Hoch), the Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michaels Hospital, and Institute of Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Carolyn S
CS
Dewa
Jeffrey S
JS
Hoch
D017046:Cost Savings; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015397:Program Evaluation; D062707:Return to Work / Q000191:economics; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits