Cost-effectiveness analysis of clinically evaluated treatment programmes of alcohol dependence

Background: Cost-effectiveness analyses complete clinical evaluation studie s and thereby support the a well based estimation of therapy efficiency. Ai m: A qualified (extended) alcohol withdrawal treatment programme (Il),which was previously described and evaluated by face-to-face follow-up studies, was analyzed with regard to cost-effectiveness. Sample: 57 alcohol-dependen t patients, which had undergone programme II, were compared with 37 patient s after a medical detoxification programme (I). Methods: Health insurance d ata (number and length of all hospitalisations, days of incapacity to work, days of financial substitution for incapacity to work) were assessed for t he five years before and after index therapy and for each year, separateley . Results: While there were no substantial differences for the time before index therapy, programme II patients were hospitalized after index therapy (i) less frequently (3.5 + 4.4 vs. 7.3 + 11.3 times), (ii) for Fewer days ( 66 + 75 vs. 136 + 167) than programme I patients, and they received financi al support for fewer days (67 +/- 73 vs 220 +/- 187 days). Conclusion: Cons idering a somewhat better clinical outcome of programme II vs, programme I patients (14% greater abstinence rate within one year) the significantly lo wer rates and fewer days of follow-up hospitalisations support a sufficient efficiency of the extended alcohol withdrawal treatment programme.