Cost analyses of peer health worker and mHealth support interventions for improving AIDS care in Rakai, Uganda
Chang, L.W.; Kagaayi, J.; Nakigozi, G.; Serwada, D.; Quinn, T.C.; Gray, R.H.; Bollinger, R.C.; Reynolds, S.J.; Holtgrave, D.
Aids Care 25(5): 652-656
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0954-0121 PMID: 22971113 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2012.722600Document Number: 571493
A cost analysis study calculates resources needed to deliver an intervention and can provide useful information on affordability for service providers and policy-makers. We conducted cost analyses of both a peer health worker (PHW) and a mHealth (mobile phone) support intervention. Excluding supervisory staffing costs, total yearly costs for the PHW intervention was $8475, resulting in a yearly cost per patient of $8.74, per virologic failure averted cost of $189, and per patient lost to follow-up averted cost of $1025. Including supervisory staffing costs increased total yearly costs to $14,991. Yearly costs of the mHealth intervention were an additional $1046, resulting in a yearly cost per patient of $2.35. In a threshold analysis, the PHW intervention was found to be cost saving if it was able to avert 1.50 patients per year from switching to second-line antiretroviral therapy. Other AIDS care programs may find these intervention costs affordable.