Cost-effectiveness analysis of a worksite clinic: is it worth the cost?

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of a worksite clinic. In-house clinic operational costs were compared to off-site (i.e., community) health care costs during a 1-year time frame. Community cost norms were extracted from statewide databases and adjusted to local costs. Lost productivity costs were based on survey feedback from current clinic users, which included their estimated time away from work if they had to seek health care off-site, average hourly wages, and the number of actual treatments rendered by the on-site staff. Combined off-site costs of dollars 224,461 (health care) and dollars 113,883 (lost productivity) were nearly twice as high as actual on-site operational costs (dollars 171,332). Overall, it appears the organization's worksite clinic provides employee health care services 2 to 3 times more cost-effectively than do off-site health care services.