Open AccessConducting a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Transitional Care Programmes: The Key Challenges and Recommendations
Author(s) -
Ke Xin Eh,
Ian Yi Han Ang,
Milawaty Nurjono,
SueAnne Toh
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of integrated care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.083
H-Index - 32
ISSN - 1568-4156
DOI - 10.5334/ijic.4703
Subject(s) - health care , process (computing) , transitional care , business , resource (disambiguation) , cost–benefit analysis , resource allocation , process management , computer science , political science , economics , economic growth , computer network , law , operating system
Transitional care encompasses a range of services designed to promote care integration as patients transfer between different locations or different levels of care. Transitional care programmes have been proven to produce positive outcomes in reducing hospital readmissions and improving patients’ health outcomes. However, little is known about the benefits of the programmes on healthcare cost and the published results have been inconsistent. With increasing healthcare expenditures and limited public healthcare resources, cost-benefit analyses become paramount in informing healthcare resource allocation decisions. This perspective paper describes the approaches used in estimating the total costs of a bundle of transitional care services from an academic medical centre, identifies the key methodological challenges encountered in the process of cost-benefit analysis, and recommends potential solutions to tackle these challenges. By providing a comprehensive perspective on the methodological challenges, this paper encourages program evaluators to take these possible challenges into consideration for future cost-benefit analyses.