An economic evaluation of the SUNBEAM programme: a falls-prevention randomized controlled trial in residential aged...

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of a strength and balance exercise programme (SUNBEAM) which has been shown to be clinically effective in reducing the rate of falls in residents of aged care facilities.

An economic evaluation was conducted alongside a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial that included 16 residential care facilities and 221 participants. Mean participant age was 86 years, 65% were female and 78% relied on a mobility aide. A cost-effectiveness analysis examined the costs of providing the exercise programme and costs of health service use arising from falls in each arm (intervention and usual care) over 12 months.

Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated for the cost per fall avoided. Costs were bootstrapped to obtain adjusted confidence intervals for the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios.

Of 63 facilities contacted, 16 met the eligibility criteria and were randomized to the intervention or usual care (1:1). There were 142 falls in the intervention group and 277 in the usual care group. 72 injurious falls occurred in the intervention group versus 157 with usual care. Delivery of the SUNBEAM programme cost $463 per participant. The mean total cost of each fall (regardless of group) was $400.09 and the mean cost of each injurious fall was $708.27. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $22 per fall per person avoided with the mean bootstrapped incremental cost-effectiveness ratio $18 per fall avoided (95% CI: -$380.34 to $417.85).

The SUNBEAM programme can be considered cost-effective, relative to other fall-prevention interventions in older adults.