# Cost–utility analysis of a palliative care program in Colombia

## TL;DR

This study shows that a palliative care program in Colombia, called Contigo, is less costly and improves quality of life for terminally ill patients compared to conventional care.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence that a specific palliative care program is cost-saving and improves patient quality of life in Colombia.

## Key findings

- The Contigo program was less expensive than conventional care by $1,924.35 per patient.
- Patients in the program reported significantly higher quality of life scores on both the EQ-5D-3L and MQOL questionnaires.
- The program was found to be net cost-saving with a negative incremental cost-utility ratio and a positive incremental net monetary benefit.

## Abstract

The economic assessment of health care models in palliative care promotes their global development. The purpose of the study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of a palliative care program (named Contigo) with that of conventional care from the perspective of a health benefit plan administrator company, Sanitas, in Colombia.

The incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) and the incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) were estimated using micro-costing in a retrospective, analytical cross-sectional study on the care of terminally ill patients enrolled in a palliative care program. A 6-month time horizon prior to death was used. The EQ-5D-3 L questionnaire (EQ-5D-3 L) and the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL) were used to measure the quality of life.

The study included 43 patients managed within the program and 16 patients who received conventional medical management. The program was less expensive than the conventional practice (difference of 1,924.35 US dollars (USD), P = 0.18). When compared to the last 15 days, there is a higher perception of quality of life, which yielded 0.25 in the EQ-5D-3 L (p < 0.01) and 1.55 in the MQOL (P < 0.01). The ICUR was negative and the INMB was positive.

Because the Contigo program reduces costs while improving quality of life, it is considered to be net cost-saving and a model with value in health care. Greater availability of palliative care programs, such as Contigo, in Colombia can help reduce existing gaps in access to universal palliative care health coverage, resulting in more cost-effective care.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12904-024-01476-6.