Befriending carers of people with dementia: a cost utility analysis

Wilson, Edward ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8369-1577, Thalanany, Mariamma, Shepstone, Lee, Charlesworth, Georgina, Poland, Fiona ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0003-6911, Harvey, Ian, Price, David, Reynolds, Shirley and Mugford, Miranda (2009) Befriending carers of people with dementia: a cost utility analysis. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 24 (6). pp. 610-623. ISSN 1099-1166

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Abstract

Objective: There is very little evidence on the cost-effectiveness of social care interventions for people with dementia or their carers. The BEfriending and Costs of CAring trial (BECCA, ISRCTN08130075) aimed to establish whether a structured befriending service improved the quality of life of carers of people with dementia, and at what cost. Methods: We performed an economic evaluation alongside a single blind, randomised controlled trial in a community setting of 236 carers of people with a primary progressive dementia. The intervention was contact with a Befriender Facilitator (BF), and offer of match with a trained lay volunteer befriender compared with no BF contact. Main outcome measures were health and social care, voluntary sector, and family care costs and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) in carers over 15 months. Results: Mean QALYs per carer over 15 months were 0.017 higher in the intervention group compared with control (95%CI: −0.051, 0.083). Mean costs from a societal perspective were £1,813 higher (−£11,312, £14,984). The point estimate Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) is thus £105,954 per incremental QALY gained. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggests a 42.2% probability that the ICER is below £30,000 per QALY. Inclusion of dementia patient QALYs reduces the ICER to £28,848 (51.4% probability below £30,000). Conclusions: Befriending leads to a non-significant trend towards improved carer quality of life, and there is a non-significant trend towards higher costs for all sectors. It is unlikely that befriending is a cost-effective intervention from the point of view of society.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Source:HEG-endnote12-09 Note:
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Rehabilitation Sciences (former - to 2014)
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Economics
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Clinical Trials Unit
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Health Services and Primary Care
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Dementia & Complexity in Later Life
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health
Depositing User: EPrints Services
Date Deposited: 25 Nov 2010 11:11
Last Modified: 26 Oct 2023 01:10
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/14130
DOI: 10.1002/gps.2164

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