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
. 2023 Apr 19;23(2):8.
doi: 10.5334/ijic.7001. eCollection 2023 Apr-Jun.

Cost-Effectiveness of Inter-Professional Collaboration to Reduce Hospitalisations in Nursing Home Residents: Results from the German Interprof ACT Trial

Louisa-Kristin Muntendorf  1 , Katrin Balzer  2 , Tim Friede  3 , Eva Hummers  4 , Hans-Helmut König  1 , Christiane Müller  4 , Martin Scherer  5 , Linda Steyer  2 , Britta Tetzlaff  5 , Sebastian Pfeiffer  3 , Alexander Konnopka  1   6 ; interprof ACT Consortium
Affiliations

Cost-Effectiveness of Inter-Professional Collaboration to Reduce Hospitalisations in Nursing Home Residents: Results from the German Interprof ACT Trial

Louisa-Kristin Muntendorf et al. Int J Integr Care. .

Abstract

Background: The German multi-centre cluster-randomised controlled trial interprof ACT investigated interventions to increase inter-professional collaboration between nursing home (NH) staff and local general practitioners to reduce hospitalisations and improve nursing homes residents' (NHRs) quality of life. The trial was funded by the German Health Care Innovation Fund.

Methods: Cost-effectiveness of interprof ACT interventions was evaluated and compared to current standard of care (SOC) over 12 months, including 622 NHRs in 34 NHs in Germany. Multiplying resource use of healthcare services with German-specific unit costs generated costs. Health outcome was measured in quality-adjusted life-years QALYs), utility by multiplying EQ-5D-5L values with German-specific utility weights. Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis used an intention-to-treat approach and scenario analyses (SAs). Net-benefit-regression and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves addressed uncertainty. A German healthcare insurance perspective was assumed.

Results: Base case results showed non-significant cost savings of 851.88€ and non-significant QALY loss of -0,056.

Discussion: Dependency levels at baseline were non-significantly higher in IG compared to control group (CG). Lack of baseline costing data eliminated possibility to evaluate changes in costs due to the interprof ACT measures for both groups.

Conclusion: Interprof ACT interventions are not cost-effective compared to current SOC.

Keywords: cost-effectiveness; integrated care; inter-professional relations; nursing homes; physician-nurse; randomised controlled trial.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves
Figure 1
Cost-effectiveness acceptability curves.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland. Pflegebedürftige nach Versorgungsart, Geschlecht und Pflegegrade Persons in need of care by type of care, gender and care level Wiesbaden: Statistisches Bundesamt; 2020. [updated 15.12.2020. Available from: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Gesundheit/Pflege/....
    1. Balzer K, Butz S, Bentzel J, Boulkhemair D, Lühmann D. Beschreibung und Bewertung der fachärztlichen Versorgung von Pflegeheimbewohnern in Deutschland. Schriftenreihe Health Technol Assess. 2013; 125: 348.
    1. Dwyer R, Gabbe B, Stoelwinder JU, Lowthian J. A systematic review of outcomes following emergency transfer to hospital for residents of aged care facilities. Age and ageing. 2014; 43(6): 759–66. DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afu117 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Günster C. Versorgungs-Report 2012: Schwerpunkt: Gesundheit im Alter Care Report 2012. Focus: Health in the elderly: Schattauer Verlag; 2012.
    1. Haber SG, Wensky SG, McCall NT. Reducing Inpatient Hospital and Emergency Room Utilization Among Nursing Home Residents: The Role of Patient–Provider Relationships. Journal of aging and health. 2017; 29(3): 510–30. DOI: 10.1177/0898264316641074 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources