Health economic design for cost, cost-effectiveness and analyses in the HEALing Communities Study

Study Author(s):

Arnie P. Aldridge, Carolina Barbosa, Joshua A. Barocas, Joshua L. Bush, Jagpreet Chhatwal, Kristin J. Harlow, Ayaz Hyder, Benjamin P. Linas, Kathryn E. McCollister, Jake R. Morgan, Sean M. Murphy, Caroline Savitzky, Bruce R. Schackman, Eric E. Seiber, Laura E Starbird, Jennifer Villani, Gary A. Zarkin

Journal Name:

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

Publication Date:

December 2020

PMID:

33152672

The study "Health economic design for cost, cost-effectiveness and simulation analyses in the HEALing Communities Study" outlines the economic evaluation framework for the HEALing Communities Study (HCS), which aims to reduce opioid overdose deaths through evidence-based interventions at the community level.

Background:
The HEALing Communities Study is a large-scale initiative to implement and evaluate strategies to combat the opioid crisis. A key component of this study is assessing the economic impact of these interventions, including their costs, cost-effectiveness, and long-term sustainability.

Methods:
The study employs three main economic evaluation approaches:

• Cost Analysis: Estimating the financial resources required for implementing community-based interventions.
• Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA): Measuring the cost per opioid overdose death averted using intervention strategies.
• Simulation Modeling: Using predictive models to estimate the long-term health and economic benefits of these interventions.

The economic evaluation framework integrates real-world data on healthcare utilization, treatment engagement, and overdose outcomes to assess the value of intervention strategies.

Key Findings:

• Understanding the costs of implementation is crucial for scalability and sustainability.
• Cost-effectiveness analysis helps policymakers determine the most efficient use of resources in combating opioid-related deaths.
• Simulation modeling provides insights into the potential long-term impacts of interventions beyond the study period.

Conclusions:
A robust health economic framework is essential for evaluating the financial feasibility and effectiveness of opioid overdose interventions. The findings from this study will help guide policymakers and stakeholders in making informed decisions about investing in community-based strategies to address the opioid crisis.