Broader economic evaluation of disease management programs using multi-criteria decision analysis

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Decision Science

Background:

• Disease Management Programs (DMPs) require robust economic evaluation.
• Existing frameworks often lack comprehensive multi-criteria assessment.
• Stakeholder input is crucial for evaluating chronic care programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a methodological framework for applying Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to economic evaluations of DMPs.
• To facilitate a comprehensive economic assessment of disease management interventions.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing DMP evaluation frameworks and MCDA methods.
• Incorporation of practical field experience in DMP economic evaluation.
• Consultation with stakeholders in chronic care.

Main Results:

• A framework detailing relevant objectives, criteria, and indicators for DMP evaluation.
• Categorization of DMP objectives across care delivery, patient behavior, health outcomes, and quality of life.
• Inclusion of all relevant DMP costs and a hypothetical MCDA application.

Conclusions:

• Advocates for comprehensive economic evaluations of DMPs using multiple criteria.
• The proposed framework aims to standardize the economic evaluation of disease management programs.
• MCDA offers a robust approach for evaluating complex healthcare interventions.