Cost-effectiveness of a primary care multidisciplinary Risk Assessment and Management Program for patients with diabetes mellitus (RAMP-DM) over lifetime

Endocrine. 2019 Feb;63(2):259-269. doi: 10.1007/s12020-018-1727-9. Epub 2018 Aug 28.

Abstract

Purpose: The multidisciplinary Risk Assessment and Management Program for patients with diabetes mellitus (RAMP-DM) was found to be cost-saving in comparison with usual primary care over 5 years' follow-up. This study aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of RAMP-DM over lifetime.

Methods: We built a Discrete Event Simulation model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of RAMP-DM over lifespan from public health service provider's perspective. Transition probabilities among disease states were extrapolated from a cohort of 17,140 propensity score matched participants in RAMP-DM and those under usual primary care over 5-year's follow-up. The mortality of patients with specific DM-related complications was estimated from a cohort of 206,238 patients with diabetes. Health preference and direct medical costs of DM patients referred to our previous studies among Chinese DM patients.

Results: RAMP-DM individuals gained 0.745 QALYs and cost US$1404 less than those under usual care. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis found that RAMP-DM had 86.0% chance of being cost-saving compared to usual care under the assumptions and estimates used in the model. The probability of RAMP-DM being cost-effective compared to usual care would be over 99%, when the willingness to pay threshold is HK$20,000 (US$ 2564) or higher.

Conclusion: RAMP-DM added to usual primary care was cost-saving in managing people with diabetes over lifetime. These findings support the integration of RAMP-DM as part of routine primary care for all patients with diabetes.

Keywords: Cost-effectiveness; Diabetes mellitus; Multidisciplinary; Primary care; Risk assessment and management.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Diabetes Mellitus* / economics
  • Diabetes Mellitus* / therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Interdisciplinary Communication*
  • Long-Term Care / economics
  • Long-Term Care / methods
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Care Team / economics
  • Primary Health Care* / economics
  • Primary Health Care* / methods
  • Quality-Adjusted Life Years
  • Risk Assessment / economics
  • Risk Assessment / methods