Klobucká S, Klobucký R, Valovičová K, Šiarnik P, Kollár B. Cost-effectiveness analysis of robot-assisted gait training in patients with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy.
COST EFFECTIVENESS AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION 2023;
21:60. [PMID:
37697377 PMCID:
PMC10496243 DOI:
10.1186/s12962-023-00475-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
To date, there have been no published studies evaluating the cost-effectiveness of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) in adolescent and adult patients with cerebral palsy (CP). The study´s aim was to analyse the cost-effectiveness of RAGT versus conventional kinesiotherapy (CON) from the health care provider's perspective.
METHODS
We expressed the cost-effectiveness of RAGT in the Lokomat® system after analysing the costs and effects of RAGT and conventional therapy through the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) based on a bicentric randomized controlled study, in which we demonstrated that the intensive RAGT regimen is more effective than conventional therapy in terms of improvements in gross motor functions in adolescent and adult patients with bilateral spastic CP.
RESULTS
According to the calculated ICER ratio for Lokomat®, an additional improvement per unit of effect (1% in GMFM), compared to conventional therapy, results in an average cost increase of EUR70.38 per patient in a therapeutic block consisting of 20 TUs (Therapeutic Units).
CONCLUSION
However, from the comprehensive analysis of the results and evaluation of the long-term effects, it follows that RAGT applied in adolescent and adult patients with bilateral spastic CP is not only more effective in terms of evaluation of monitored clinical parameters, but in the long term it is also more cost-effective compared to conventional therapy.
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