A Cost Benefit Analysis of Individual Home Visiting Health Care.
10.12799/jkachn.2010.21.3.362
- Author:
Jinhyun KIM
1
;
Taejin LEE
;
Jinhee LEE
;
Sangjin SHIN
;
Eunhee LEE
Author Information
1. College of Nursing, The Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Home visit;
Cost-benefit analysis
- MeSH:
Aged;
Arthritis;
Budgets;
Child;
Cost-Benefit Analysis*;
Delivery of Health Care*;
Disease Management;
Efficiency;
Female;
House Calls*;
Humans;
Infant;
Vulnerable Populations
- From:Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing
2010;21(3):362-373
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the costs and benefits of individual home visiting health care using secondary data and literature review. METHODS: The total number of subjects was 1,008,837. A specific program was classified into disease management, care of infant, child and women, or elderly care. The costs and effects of a program were identified from a societal perspective, and the effects were converted into monetary terms or benefits. The total cost was calculated in the way that medical expenses, travel costs and productivity losses were offset by the decrease in benefits and thus only the program budget was included in the total cost. RESULTS: The total program cost was 47.6 billion won per year and the total annual benefit was estimated at 435.6 billion won. The benefits of arthritis management were the biggest among disease management programs. The net benefit was 388.0 billion won per year and the benefit/cost ratio was 9.16. CONCLUSION: Home visiting health care was validated to be economically effective. It made a positive contribution to improving the health status of vulnerable populations and reducing medical expenses. These results suggest that home visiting care should be extended more broadly to vulnerable populations.
