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Reducing problematic alcohol use in employees: economic evaluation of guided and unguided web‐based interventions alongside a three‐arm randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Buntrock Claudia,
Freund Johanna,
Smit Filip,
Riper Heleen,
Lehr Dirk,
Boß Leif,
Berking Matthias,
Ebert David Daniel
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.15718
Subject(s) - motivational interviewing , psychological intervention , medicine , quality adjusted life year , randomized controlled trial , population , economic evaluation , cost effectiveness , physical therapy , psychiatry , environmental health , surgery , risk analysis (engineering) , pathology
Abstract Aims To perform an economic evaluation of guided and unguided internet‐based interventions to reduce problematic alcohol consumption in employees compared with a waiting‐list control condition (WLC) with unrestricted access to treatment‐as‐usual. Design A cost‐effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost–utility analysis (CUA) from a societal and a cost–benefit analysis from the employer's perspective with a 6‐month time horizon. Setting Open recruitment in the German working population. Participants Employees (178 males, 256 females, mean age 47 years) consuming at least 14 (women) or 21 (men) standard units of alcohol (SUAs) per week and scoring ≥ 8 (men) or 6 (women) on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Measurements On‐line questionnaires administered to assess SUAs and assess quality of life (AQoL‐8D) and resource use. Outcome measure was responder (≤ 14/≤ 21 SUAs) for the CEA and quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) for the CUA. Net benefit regression was used to estimate cost‐effectiveness for each study arm. Bootstrapping and sensitivity analyses were performed to account for uncertainty. Interventions Five weekly modules including personalized normative feedback, motivational interviewing, goal setting, problem‐solving and emotion regulation, provided with adherence‐focused guidance [ n = 142; responders: n = 73 (51.4%); QALYs = 0.364, standard error (SE) = 0.006] or without guidance [ n = 146; n = 66 (45.2%); 0.359, 0.007]. Controls were on a waiting‐list [ n = 144; n = 38 (26.4%); 0.342, 0.007]. Findings From a societal perspective, the guided intervention had a probability of 55% (54%) of being the most efficient strategy at a willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) of €0 per responder (QALY) gained, compared with the unguided intervention and the control condition. At a WTP of €20 000 per QALY gained, the probability was 78%. From an employer's perspective, the guided intervention had a higher probability of a positive return on investment (81%) compared with the unguided intervention (58%). Conclusion A guided internet‐based intervention to reduce problematic alcohol consumption in employees appears to be both cost‐beneficial and cost‐effective.