Cost of Illness and Health-Related Quality of Life for Stuttering: Two Systematic Reviews.

PURPOSE: For those who stutter, verbal communication is typically compromised in social situations. This may attract negative responses from listeners and stigmatization by society. These have the potential to impair health-related quality of life across a range of domains, including qualitative and quantitative impacts on speech output, mental health issues, and failure to attain educational and occupational potential. These systematic reviews were designed to explore this matter using traditional health economics perspectives of utility measures and cost of illness. METHOD: Studies were included if they involved children, adolescents, or adults with stuttering as a primary diagnosis. The quality of life search strategy identified 2,607 reports, of which three were included in the quality of life analysis. The cost of illness search strategy identified 3,778 reports, of which 39 were included in the cost of illness analysis. RESULTS: Two of the three studies included in the quality of life analysis had a high risk of bias. When measured using utility scores, quality of life for people who stutter was in the range of those reported for chronic health conditions such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. However, there is little such evidence of quality of life impairment during the preschool years. Studies included in the cost of illness analysis carried considerable risk of bias overall. CONCLUSIONS: For people who stutter, there are substantive direct and indirect costs of illness. These include impairment, challenges, and distress across many domains throughout life, including income, education, employment, and social functioning. Evidence of quality of life impairment using utility measures is extremely limited. If this situation is not remedied, the lifetime impairment, challenges, and distress experienced by those who stutter cannot be documented in a form that can be used to influence health policy and health care spending. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24168201.

The Pain Course: a randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of an internet-delivered pain management program.

ABSTRACT: There is interest in the potential of Internet-delivered programs to cost-effectively increase access to pain management for people with chronic pain. However, few large-scale clinical and economic evaluations have been undertaken. Using a randomised controlled trial design, the current study (n = 659) examined the clinical efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and cost utility of an Internet-delivered pain management program for people with mixed chronic pain conditions when delivered with optional clinician support. The treatment group reported significant improvements in disability, depression, anxiety, average pain intensity, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), compared with control, and exhibited relatively high levels of treatment engagement and satisfaction. Each additional clinical improvement (defined as ≥ 30% improvement) produced by the intervention, over control, was associated with a cost of $48, $27, $38, and $83 for disability, depression, anxiety, and average pain intensity, respectively. Gaining one QALY was associated with a cost of $152 or $11,910 per QALY when an 80% probability criterion for cost utility was applied. The program itself was associated a relatively small, fixed, cost per patient but was not cost saving over the brief intervention period. The findings support the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Internet-delivered programs with "on demand" clinician support as a way to increase access to pain management. Key limitations of the current study include the use of a waitlist-control group, a short follow-up period, and the focus on governmental healthcare costs. Further evaluation of these programs is necessary if they are scaled up and offered as routine care.

Bridging the Gap: A Mixed Methods Study Investigating Caregiver Integration for People with Geriatric Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Transitions of care between acute hospital and community settings are points of vulnerability for people with geriatric syndrome. Routinely including informal caregivers into the transition processes may mitigate risk. Guidance for operational aspects of caregiver inclusion is currently lacking in healthcare policy and fails to address the barriers faced by caregivers and healthcare professionals. METHODS: A questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were piloted with acute care physiotherapists who facilitate patient discharge into community settings. The questionnaire was analysed using summary statistics and interviews were thematically analysed by researchers, using NVivo 12 software. RESULTS: Questionnaire responses indicated mixed satisfaction with current caregiver integration by the multidisciplinary team. Four themes were shaped in the interviews: inconsistent caregiver engagement, individuals working in a system, an outdated model of care, and invisible care gaps. DISCUSSION: Feedback loops constructed from participant questionnaires and interview responses informed the identification of barriers and solutions. These are system wide and address automated integration, cultural shift, reimbursement models, and flexible structures to enhance informal caregiver participation. Future research is urgently required to translate, implement, and evaluate enhanced caregiver integration to ensure sustainable, person-centred healthcare delivery.

The value of caregiver inclusive practices in geriatric transitions of care: A systematic review.

Globally, hospital length of stay is decreasing, yet the number of aged patients requiring complex care is increasing. This causes more patients, and their informal caregivers, to self-manage in the community following acute care discharge. This study aims to assess whether transitional care programs that integrate caregivers provide better value care than routine care. In this systematic review, Medline Ovid, EMBASE Ovid, CINAHL EbscoHOST, Scopus, and Proquest were searched for any study design that investigated a caregiver inclusive transitional care intervention in a population of people with geriatric syndrome, enroled a comparator group, and assessed population health, experience, and/or cost related outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed by two reviewers using ROBINS I and RoB 2. The review included 23 studies and results were mixed. Consistently positive results occurred for patient and caregiver satisfaction. Cost tended to increase with caregiver inclusive practices. Most studies found no difference in population health outcomes. There was insufficient evidence on healthcare professional experience. Currently, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether caregiver inclusive transitions of care provide better value care than routine care. Studies that rigorously implement and evaluate caregiver inclusive care models are urgently required to inform future policy.

A Cost-effectiveness Analysis of an Internet-delivered Pain Management Program Delivered With Different Levels of Clinician Support: Results From a Randomised Controlled Trial.

There is growing interest in the potential of internet-delivered pain management programs (PMPs) to increase access to care for people with chronic pain. However, very few economic evaluations of these interventions have been reported. Using existing data, the current study examined the cost-effectiveness of an internet-delivered PMP for a mixed group chronic pain patients (n = 490) provided with different levels of clinician support. The findings indicated that each additional clinical outcome (defined as a ≥ 30% reduction in disability, depression, anxiety, and pain) was associated with cost-savings when the intervention was provided in a self-guided format (ICER range: -$404--$808 AUD) or an optional-guided format (ICER range: -$314--$541 AUD), and a relatively small fixed cost when provided in the clinician-guided format (ICER range: $88-$225 AUD). The results were driven by a reduction in service use costs among the treatment groups, which offset the costs of providing the internet-delivered PMP in the self-guided and optional-guided formats. The same general pattern of results was found when more stringent clinical outcomes (defined as a ≥ 50% reduction) were employed. These findings suggest that carefully developed and administered internet-delivered PMPs, provided with different levels of clinician support, can be highly cost effective for patients with a broad range of pain conditions. PERSPECTIVE: This study examines the cost-effectiveness of an internet-delivered PMP provided to adults with a broad range of chronic pain conditions. Evidence of cost-effectiveness was found across a broad range of clinical outcomes and with different levels of clinician support.

Study protocol for a mixed methods prospective cohort study to explore experiences of care following a suicidal crisis in the Australian healthcare system.

INTRODUCTION: For individuals presenting to the emergency department (ED) for a suicide attempt, the period after discharge from hospital is marked by heightened vulnerability for further suicide attempts. Effective care following a suicidal crisis has the potential to significantly decrease this risk. The current study aims to examine the impact of the LifeSpan multilevel suicide prevention model on experiences of care following a suicidal crisis. Perspectives from healthcare consumers (individuals who have presented to the ED following a suicidal crisis), carers, and health professionals will be explored. The LifeSpan model is currently being evaluated as a high-fidelity trial in four geographically defined regions in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study will use a mixed methods prospective cohort design. Quantitative data collection includes a structured survey, administered to healthcare consumers from LifeSpan sites and control sites. Two cohorts of healthcare consumers will be recruited 12 months apart with baseline assessment occurring within 18 months of the ED presentation, and follow-up 12 months after the initial assessment. Survey participants will be recruited online and through participating EDs, mental health organisations and aftercare services. Qualitative interview data from healthcare consumers, carers who have accompanied a loved one to the ED following a suicidal crisis and health professionals who provide care to people at risk of suicide will be collected concurrently with the recruitment of the first cohort of survey participants. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques will be used for recruitment of interview participants. The primary outcome for this study will be healthcare consumers' experiences of service provided at the ED. Analysis will be undertaken of the change over time within LifeSpan sites, as well as between LifeSpan sites and control sites, using mixed effects repeated measures models as principal means of data analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This research has been approved by the Hunter New England Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC/17/HNE/144). Results will be disseminated via conferences and peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12617000457347.

Computerised interpretation of the fetal heart rate during labour: a randomised controlled trial (INFANT).

BACKGROUND: Continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) in labour is widely used and computerised interpretation has the potential to increase its utility. OBJECTIVES: This trial aimed to find out whether or not the addition of decision support software to assist in the interpretation of the cardiotocograph (CTG) reduced the number of poor neonatal outcomes, and whether or not it was cost-effective. DESIGN: Two-arm individually randomised controlled trial. The allocations were computer generated using stratified block randomisation employing variable block sizes. The trial was not masked. SETTING: Labour wards in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. PARTICIPANTS: Women in labour having EFM, with a singleton or twin pregnancy, at ≥ 35 weeks' gestation. INTERVENTIONS: Decision support or no decision support. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were (1) a composite of poor neonatal outcome {intrapartum stillbirth or early neonatal death (excluding lethal congenital anomalies), or neonatal morbidity [defined as neonatal encephalopathy (NNE)], or admission to a neonatal unit within 48 hours for ≥ 48 hours (with evidence of feeding difficulties, respiratory illness or NNE when there was evidence of compromise at birth)}; and (2) developmental assessment at the age of 2 years in a subset of surviving children. RESULTS: Between 6 January 2010 and 31 August 2013, 47,062 women were randomised and 46,042 were included in the primary analysis (22,987 in the decision support group and 23,055 in the no decision support group). The short-term primary outcome event rate was higher than anticipated. There was no evidence of a difference in the incidence of poor neonatal outcome between the groups: 0.7% (n = 172) of babies in the decision support group compared with 0.7% (n = 171) of babies in the no decision support group [adjusted risk ratio 1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.82 to 1.25]. There was no evidence of a difference in the long-term primary outcome of the Parent Report of Children's Abilities-Revised with a mean score of 98.0 points [standard deviation (SD) 33.8 points] in the decision support group and 97.2 points (SD 33.4 points) in the no decision support group (mean difference 0.63 points, 95% CI -0.98 to 2.25 points). No evidence of a difference was found for health resource use and total costs. There was evidence that decision support did change practice (with increased fetal blood sampling and a lower rate of repeated alerts). LIMITATIONS: Staff in the control group may learn from exposure to the decision support arm of the trial, resulting in improved outcomes in the control arm. This was identified in the planning stage and felt to be unlikely to have a significant effect on the results. As this was a pragmatic trial, the response to CTG alerts was left to the attending clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: This trial does not support the hypothesis that the use of computerised interpretation of the CTG in women who have EFM in labour improves the clinical outcomes for mothers or babies. FUTURE WORK: There continues to be an urgent need to improve knowledge and training about the appropriate response to CTG abnormalities, including timely intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN98680152. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) HTA programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 22, No. 9. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. Sara Kenyon was part funded by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West Midlands.

The economic costs of intrapartum care in Tower Hamlets: A comparison between the cost of birth in a freestanding midwifery unit and hospital for women at low risk of obstetric complications.

OBJECTIVE: to compare the economic costs of intrapartum maternity care in an inner city area for 'low risk' women opting to give birth in a freestanding midwifery unit compared with those who chose birth in hospital. DESIGN: micro-costing of health service resources used in the intrapartum care of mothers and their babies during the period between admission and discharge, data extracted from clinical notes. SETTING: the Barkantine Birth Centre, a freestanding midwifery unit and the Royal London Hospital's consultant-led obstetric unit, both run by the former Barts and the London NHS Trust in Tower Hamlets, a deprived inner city borough in east London, England, 2007-2010. PARTICIPANTS: maternity records of 333 women who were resident in Tower Hamlets and who satisfied the Trust's eligibility criteria for using the Birth Centre. Of these, 167 women started their intrapartum care at the Birth Centre and 166 started care at the Royal London Hospital. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: women who planned their birth at the Birth Centre experienced continuous intrapartum midwifery care, higher rates of spontaneous vaginal delivery, greater use of a birth pool, lower rates of epidural use, higher rates of established breastfeeding and a longer post-natal stay, compared with those who planned for care in the hospital. The total average cost per mother-baby dyad for care where mothers started their intrapartum care at the Birth Centre was £1296.23, approximately £850 per patient less than the average cost per mother and baby who received all their care at the Royal London Hospital. These costs reflect intrapartum throughput using bottom up costing per patient, from admission to discharge, including transfer, but excluding occupancy rates and the related running costs of the units. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: the study showed that intrapartum throughput in the Birth Centre could be considered cost-minimising when compared to hospital. Modelling the financial viability of midwifery units at a local level is important because it can inform the appropriate provision of these services. This finding from this study contribute a local perspective and thus further weight to the evidence from the Birthplace Programme in support of freestanding midwifery unit care for women without obstetric complications.

The economic costs of congenital bilateral permanent childhood hearing impairment.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to estimate the economic costs of bilateral permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) in the preceding year of life for children aged 7 to 9 years. METHODS: A cost analysis was conducted by using a birth cohort of children born between 1992 and 1997 in 8 districts of Southern England, of which half had been born into populations exposed to universal newborn screening (UNS). Unit costs were applied to estimates of health, social, and broader resource use made by 120 hearing-impaired children and 63 children in a normally hearing comparison group. Associations between societal costs per child and severity of hearing impairment, language ability score, exposure to UNS, and age of confirmation were analyzed, including adjustment for potential confounders in a linear regression model. RESULTS: The mean societal cost in the preceding year of life at 7 to 9 years of age was 14092.5 pound sterling for children with PCHI, compared with 4206.8 pound sterling for the normally hearing children, a cost difference of 9885.7 pound sterling. After adjusting for severity and other potential confounders in a linear regression model, mean societal costs among children with PCHI were reduced by 2553 pound sterling for each unit increase in the z score for receptive language. Using similar regression models, exposure to a program of UNS was associated with a smaller cost reduction of 2213.2 pound sterling, whereas costs were similar between children whose PCHI was confirmed at <9 or >9 months. CONCLUSIONS. The study provides rigorous evidence of the annual health, social, and broader societal cost of bilateral PCHI in the preceding year of life at 7 to 9 years of age and shows that it is related to its severity and has an inverse relationship with language abilities after adjustment for severity.