Cost-effectiveness of an educational program for type 2 diabetics
Keywords:
Cost of illness, Diabetes mellitus, Program evaluation, Health educationAbstract
Introduction: diabetes is a chronic degenerative disease with an increasing participation in morbidity and mortality in Mexico. The need for increasing the investment in the health sector and the efficiency of financial resources has brougtht multiple concerns among the planners and performers of public policies,especially regarding efficiency, equity, quality, and cost of medical care.
Objective: To determine the costeffectiveness of an educational strategy in type 2 diabetic patients.
Methodology: a descriptive study of economical evaluation was realized in patients who were given the educational intervention as compared to those who had not received it (n=43 patients) regarding the cost implied in both service alternatives. Criteria: patients with an evolution of more than 5 years and at least 8 consultations. Exclusion criteria: without lab records or admissions for different causes (not diabetes mellitus). Selection criteria: card file of the medical assistant. Both direct and indirect costs were determined in the two alternatives, as well as the effectiveness.
Results: evolution time in the experimental group was 10.2 years, with a standard deviation of 7.6. Costs for the experimental population (educational intervention) $46 563.24 versus $214 845.70 control population (no educational intervention).
Conclusions: there is avery significantly difference of this intervention because it only represents 22% of the cost used by those patients who did not receive the intervention.
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