Short-term health care cost savings are associated with participation in a digital Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) in an adult workforce population (Health Econ Outcomes Res. 2020;7[2]:139-147. doi:10.36469/jheor.2020.14529).
DPPs have demonstrated cost-effectiveness and health care cost-savings in previous studies, but the analysis of cost savings with workplace-based DPPs has not been performed.
“The purpose of this study was to examine health care utilization and health care economic outcomes of a large workforce that participated in a digital DPP as a health care benefit from their employer,” wrote the study authors.
A longitudinal, observational analysis of health care claims data among adults with private insurance from their employer examined the differences in health care costs and utilization for digital DPP participants. The claims were compared with matched, nonparticipating individuals across the 1 year before digital DPP enrollment and 1 year after enrollment.
Health care spending was reduced by US$1169 per participant in the digital DPP population at 1 year relative to the comparison group (P = .001). Reduced inpatient and outpatient spending, fewer hospital admissions, and shorter length of stay contributed to the cost savings.
“Digital DPP participants exhibited lesser spend and lower volume of health care use in Year 1 following initiation of the program relative to a rigorously matched comparison sample,” concluded the study authors.—Lisa Kuhns
