Cost-effectiveness of the special care unit for persons with dementia - 08/08/26
, Bernhard Michalowsky c, Aline Mendes d, Sverre Bergh e, Bruno Mario Cesana f, Alfonso Ciccone g, h, Emmanuel Cognat i, j, Andrea Fabbo k, Sara Fascendini l, Giovanni B. Frisoni m, Lutz Froelich n, Patrizia Mecocci o, p, Paola Merlo q, Oliver Peters r, Magdalini Tsolaki s, Carlo Alberto Defanti jRECage consortium collaborators
Highlights |
• | SCU-B (special care unit for behavioral symptoms) was likely not cost-effective. |
• | SCU-B widespread implementation or disinvestment cannot be recommended. |
• | We recommend future studies to randomize over SCU-B and usual care. |
Abstract |
Introduction |
We aimed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of the patient-centered special care unit for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (SCU-B) in the Respectful Caring for the Agitated Elderly (RECage) study.
Methods |
A health-economic evaluation was performed alongside a controlled European multicenter three-year longitudinal cohort study enrolling 508 participants in a non-SCU-B cohort and SCU-B cohort. Health service resource use, costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost per QALY gained were assessed.
Results |
Total QALYs were lower (−0.13; bootstrap-interval −0.23 to −0.02) and total costs were higher (€24,960; bootstrap-interval 14,870 to 35,090) in the SCU-B cohort. Base case and sensitivity analyses indicated the SCU-B was likely not cost-effective.
Discussion |
Widespread implementation as well as disinvestment of SCU-B cannot be recommended, given the uncertainty of the study results. We recommend a randomized study stratified by (local/county) region for conclusive evidence.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Dementia, Behavioral and psychological symptoms, Special care unit, Cost-effectiveness, Health-economic evaluation
Plan
Vol 13 - N° 9
Article 100647- novembre 2026 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
