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Hospitalization cost offset of a hostility intervention for coronary heart disease patients

Karina W Davidson1, Yori Gidron, Elizabeth Mostofsky

  • 1Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY10032, USA. kd2124@columbia.edu

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
|August 1, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Hostility management group therapy significantly reduced hospitalization costs for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. For every dollar spent on therapy, approximately two dollars were saved in hospitalization expenses over six months.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychology
  • Health Economics

Background:

  • Coronary heart disease (CHD) patients often experience significant healthcare costs.
  • Hostility is a known risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events.
  • Previous research suggests psychological interventions may impact CHD outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the hospitalization cost offset of hostility management group therapy for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 26 male patients with myocardial infarction or unstable angina.
  • Participants were assigned to either 2 months of cognitive-behavioral group therapy or an information control session.
  • Hospitalization length and costs were tracked for 6 months post-intervention.

Main Results:

  • Therapy patients had significantly shorter average hospital stays (0.38 days) compared to control patients (2.15 days).
  • Average hospitalization costs were substantially lower for therapy patients ($245) versus control patients ($1,333).
  • A cost-offset ratio of 1:1.94 was observed, indicating significant savings.

Conclusions:

  • Hostility-reduction group therapy offers a significant hospitalization cost offset for CHD patients.
  • The intervention demonstrates a positive return on investment by reducing healthcare expenditures.
  • These findings support the clinical and economic benefits of psychological interventions in cardiovascular disease management.

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