BACKGROUND: Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children in Germany. Approaches to reduce the burden of asthma include patient education to improve self-management skills. STUDY OBJECTIVES: We determined whether a continuous Internet-based education program (IEP) as an add-on to a standardized patient management program (SPMP) improves health outcomes of asthma patients at a favorable benefit-cost ratio. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 438 asthmatic patients aged 8 to 16 years in 36 study centers were enrolled during a 6-month period. We performed a prospective cost-benefit analysis alongside a nonrandomized trial. At baseline and at 6 months and 12 months, health service utilization data were collected. INTERVENTIONS: Study participants were assigned to a control group and two intervention groups. Patients in both intervention groups participated in an SPMP. Additionally, patients in one intervention group received the IEP. RESULTS:Utilization of various health-care services decreased significantly in both intervention groups. From a payer perspective, the benefit-cost ratio of the traditional education program was 0.55. Adding the IEP improved the ratio (0.79). For patients with moderate or severe asthma, the benefit-cost ratios were 1.07 and 1.42 (with IEP), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The IEP offers the potential to decrease the burden of disease and to realize incremental morbidity cost savings. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that within 1 year, the savings exceed the intervention costs in patients with moderate or severe asthma.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Asthma is the most common chronic disease among children in Germany. Approaches to reduce the burden of asthma include patient education to improve self-management skills. STUDY OBJECTIVES: We determined whether a continuous Internet-based education program (IEP) as an add-on to a standardized patient management program (SPMP) improves health outcomes of asthmapatients at a favorable benefit-cost ratio. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 438 asthmatic patients aged 8 to 16 years in 36 study centers were enrolled during a 6-month period. We performed a prospective cost-benefit analysis alongside a nonrandomized trial. At baseline and at 6 months and 12 months, health service utilization data were collected. INTERVENTIONS: Study participants were assigned to a control group and two intervention groups. Patients in both intervention groups participated in an SPMP. Additionally, patients in one intervention group received the IEP. RESULTS: Utilization of various health-care services decreased significantly in both intervention groups. From a payer perspective, the benefit-cost ratio of the traditional education program was 0.55. Adding the IEP improved the ratio (0.79). For patients with moderate or severe asthma, the benefit-cost ratios were 1.07 and 1.42 (with IEP), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The IEP offers the potential to decrease the burden of disease and to realize incremental morbidity cost savings. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that within 1 year, the savings exceed the intervention costs in patients with moderate or severe asthma.
Authors: M M Fichter; N Quadflieg; K Nisslmüller; S Lindner; U Voderholzer; W Wünsch-Leiteritz; B Osen; T Huber; S Zahn; R Meermann; V Irrgang; F Bleichner Journal: Nervenarzt Date: 2011-09 Impact factor: 1.214
Authors: Kathryn Blake; Janet T Holbrook; Holly Antal; David Shade; H Timothy Bunnell; Suzanne M McCahan; Robert A Wise; Chris Pennington; Paul Garfinkel; Tim Wysocki Journal: Contemp Clin Trials Date: 2015-04-03 Impact factor: 2.226
Authors: Shadi Ghajar-Khosravi; Susan M Tarlo; Gary M Liss; Mark Chignell; Marcos Ribeiro; Anthony J Levinson; Samir Gupta Journal: Can Respir J Date: 2013-10-17 Impact factor: 2.409
Authors: Harald J Hamre; Claudia M Witt; Gunver S Kienle; Christof Schnürer; Anja Glockmann; Renatus Ziegler; Stefan N Willich; Helmut Kiene Journal: J Asthma Allergy Date: 2009-11-24