Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2005 Sep 10;331(7516):544.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.331.7516.544.

Cost effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems: findings of the randomised UK alcohol treatment trial (UKATT)

UKATT Research Team
Clinical Trial

Cost effectiveness of treatment for alcohol problems: findings of the randomised UK alcohol treatment trial (UKATT)

UKATT Research Team. BMJ. .

Abstract

Objective: To compare the cost effectiveness of social behaviour and network therapy, a new treatment for alcohol problems, with that of the proved motivational enhancement therapy.

Design: Cost effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic randomised trial.

Setting: Seven treatment sites around Birmingham, Cardiff, and Leeds.

Participants: 742 clients with alcohol problems; 617 (83.2%) were interviewed at 12 months and full economic data were obtained on 608 (98.5% of 617). Main economic measures Quality adjusted life years (QALYs), costs of trial treatments, and consequences for public sector resources (health care, other alcohol treatment, social services, and criminal justice services).

Results: Both therapies saved about five times as much in expenditure on health, social, and criminal justice services as they cost. Neither net savings nor cost effectiveness differed significantly between the therapies, despite the average cost of social behaviour and network therapy (221 pounds sterling; 385 dollars; 320 euros) being significantly more than that of motivational enhancement therapy (129 pounds sterling). If a QALY were worth 30,000 pounds sterling, then the motivational therapy would have 58% chance of being more cost effective than the social therapy, and the social therapy would have 42% chance of being more cost effective than the motivational therapy.

Conclusion: Participants reported highly significant reductions in drinking and associated problems and costs. The novel social behaviour and network therapy did not differ significantly in cost effectiveness from the proved motivational enhancement therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cost effectiveness acceptability curve for motivational enhancement therapy relative to social behaviour and network therapy
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

    1. Leontaridi R. Alcohol misuse: how much does it cost? London: Cabinet Office, 2003. www.strategy.gov.uk/files/pdf/econ.pdf (accessed 25 April 2005).
    1. Ludbrook A, Godfrey C, Wyness L, Parrott S, Haw S, Napper M, et al. Effective and cost-effective measures to reduce alcohol misuse in Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Health Department, 2001.
    1. McCollister KE, French MT. The relative contribution of outcome domains in the total economic benefit of addiction interventions: a review of first findings. Addiction 2003;98: 1647-59. - PubMed
    1. Holder HD, Longabaugh R, Miller WR, Rubonis AV. The cost effectiveness of treatment for alcoholism: a first approximation. J Stud Alcohol 1991;52: 517-40. - PubMed
    1. Slattery J, Chick J, Cochrane M, Craig J, Godfrey C, Kohli H, et al. Prevention of relapse in alcohol dependence. Health technology assessment report 3. Glasgow: Health Technology Board for Scotland, 2003.

Publication types