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Healthcare utilization costs of emerging adults with mood and anxiety disorders in an early intervention treatment program compared to a matched cohort
Author(s) -
JohnBaptiste Ava A.,
Li Lihua,
Isaranuwatchai Wanrudee,
Osuch Elizabeth,
Anderson Kelly K.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
early intervention in psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.087
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1751-7893
pISSN - 1751-7885
DOI - 10.1111/eip.12790
Subject(s) - medicine , mood , anxiety , health care , observational study , mental health , ambulatory care , ambulatory , confidence interval , cohort , psychiatry , economics , economic growth
Aim The First Episode Mood and Anxiety Disorder Program (FEMAP) provides treatment to emerging adults with mood and anxiety disorders in an accessible, youth‐friendly environment. We sought to investigate FEMAP's impact on the costs of care. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study of one‐year health service costs using linked administrative datasets to compare emerging adults treated at FEMAP (FEMAP users) to propensity‐score matched controls (non‐users). Costs from the perspective of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long‐Term Care, included drug benefit claims, inpatient, physician and ambulatory care services. We used bootstrapping to perform unadjusted comparisons between FEMAP users and non‐users, by cost category and overall. We performed risk‐adjusted comparison of overall costs using generalized estimating equations. Results FEMAP users (n = 366) incurred significantly lower costs compared to non‐users (n = 660), for inpatient services (−$784, 95% confidence interval [CI] −$1765, −$28), ambulatory care services (−$90, 95% CI −$175, −$14) and drug benefit claims (−$47, 95% CI ‐$115,‐$4) and significantly higher physician services costs ($435, 95% CI $276, $581) over 1 year. The unadjusted difference in overall costs was not significant (−$853, 95% CI −$2048, $142). Following adjustment for age, sex and age at first mental health diagnosis, the difference of −$914 (95% CI (−$2747, $919)) was also not significant. Conclusions FEMAP was associated with significantly lower costs of inpatient and ambulatory care services, and higher costs of physician services, however we are unable to conclude that FEMAP is cost‐saving overall.