Analysing the cost of individual assistive technology programmes

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Health Economics
• Assistive Technology Assessment

Background:

• Cost-outcome analysis of assistive technology (AT) is crucial for understanding its economic impact.
• Existing analyses often overlook the comprehensive 'social cost' of AT provision.
• A need exists for standardized methods to assess the economic implications of AT interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the state-of-the-art in cost-outcome analysis for AT.
• To propose and detail methods for comparing AT solutions based on social cost.
• To introduce and describe the Siva Cost Assessment Instrument (SCAI) for clinical use.

Main Methods:

• Review of current cost-outcome analysis methodologies for AT.
• Development and description of the Siva Cost Assessment Instrument (SCAI).
• Application of SCAI to analyze 31 individual AT programs to infer social cost indicators.

Main Results:

• Most AT solutions, despite high initial costs, yield substantial savings in social costs due to reduced assistance needs.
• Significant social cost savings (up to 150,000 euros over 5 years) were observed in some cases.
• High variability in social costs for similar AT solutions highlights the importance of individual user context and program integration.

Conclusions:

• AT interventions can lead to considerable long-term economic benefits by reducing overall social costs.
• The SCAI provides a valuable tool for clinicians and users to understand the economic consequences of AT decisions.
• Standardized social cost figures for AT devices are challenging due to individual variations and program interdependencies.