Australasian journal on ageing
Cost-Consequence Analysis of a Dementia Specialist Training Program for Home Care Workers: Results From a Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial
By Belay YB, Goh A, Dow B and 4 others.
Abstract
Objectives
This paper reports the health economic component of the broader Promoting Independence Through Quality Dementia Care at Home (PITCH). The broader PITCH trial primarily evaluated the effect of dementia training on home care workers' competence in providing dementia care; this analysis evaluated intervention costs and selected secondary client and caregiver outcomes.
Methods
The PITCH intervention was tested via a multi-site national pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster randomised clinical trial, conducted across three Australian states. A micro-costing approach was used to estimate intervention and resource use costs. Secondary outcomes for clients and caregivers, including quality of life (QoL), caregiver burden and dyadic interaction, were assessed. Means (SDs) described costs and outcomes, with linear and multilevel mixed-effects regression used to estimate crude and adjusted mean differences, respectively.