ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INTERVENTION FOR ADULT PATIENTS IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SETTINGS

Abstract

This article analyses the implementation cost of the physical activity intervention in primary health care settings and economic benefits from the healthcare and social systems perspective over 10 years. The economic evaluation of the physical activity intervention was carried out by estimating it’s the initial investment cost and the cost over 3 years. The cost - benefit analysis was used to estimate the savings of the health care costs per case of disease and the sickness benefits. Besides, the cost per life years saved of the physical activity intervention was estimated. One way sensitivity analysis was performed to assess two scenarios of the physical activity intervention effectiveness. The initial investment cost of the physical activity intervention would be around 25 200 Eur, whereas the implementation cost would be 1 513 935,37 Eur over 3 years. Its net benefit would be 4 533 373,29 Eur (optimistic scenario) or 1509185,72 Eur (pessimistic scenario) from the healthcare and social systems perspective over 10 years, respectively one euro invested in this intervention would yield a return of 4 Eur or 2 Eur. The cost of one physically inactive patient who would become physically active and prevent diseases would ranke from 1971 Eur (optimistic scenario) to 3953 Eur (pessimistic scenario). This intervention implementation in primary health care setting would safe from 407 (optimistic scenario) to 203 (pessimistic scenario) life years, whereas the cost per life years saved would ranke from 3949,11 Eur to 7918,85 Eur. The physical activity intervention implementation in primary health care setting may be economically beneficial from the healthcare and social systems perspective.