The TransFORmation of IndiGEnous PrimAry HEAlthcare Delivery (FORGE AHEAD): economic analysis
Aleksandra Stanimirovic, Troy Francis, Susan Webster-Bogaert, Stewart Harris, Valeria Rac

TL;DR
The FORGE AHEAD program improved healthcare access for Indigenous communities in Canada, showing economic benefits despite increased hospitalization costs.
Contribution
The study evaluates the economic impact of a community-driven healthcare model for diabetes management in Indigenous populations.
Findings
The program's implementation cost was $1,221,413.60 with a cost of $27.89 per person.
Hospitalization costs increased significantly during the intervention period.
The program improved access to resources and represented a successful community-driven partnership.
Abstract
Indigenous populations have increased risk of developing diabetes and experience poorer treatment outcomes than the general population. The FORGE AHEAD program partnered with First Nations communities across Canada to improve access to resources by developing community-driven primary healthcare models. This was an economic assessment of FORGE AHEAD using a payer perspective. Costs of diabetes management and complications during the 18-month intervention were compared to the costs prior to intervention implementation. Cost-effectiveness of the program assessed incremental differences in cost and number of resources utilization events (pre and post). Primary outcome was all-cause hospitalizations. Secondary outcomes were specialist visits, clinic visits and community resource use. Data were obtained from a diabetes registry and published literature. Costs are expressed in 2023 Can$.…
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Taxonomy
TopicsPrimary Care and Health Outcomes · Health Policy Implementation Science · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights
