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Smoking intervention program reduced cost, adverse events in long term
Ladapo J. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171:39-45.
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Smoking cessation counseling combined with supportive contact after discharge was found to be cost-effective and beneficial in reducing smoking-related adverse events during a 10-year period.
The study utilized data from a meta-analysis that included randomized trials of smoking interventions. The investigators created a Monte Carlo model to project health and economic outcomes for a hypothetical cohort of 327,600 US smokers hospitalized for acute MI.
According to the data, the intervention program, which consisted of smoking cessation counseling with follow-up contact, would cost $27.3 million, result in 50,230 new quitters, and prevent 7,860 deaths and 1,380 nonfatal acute MIs. In a 10-year period, this would result in savings of $22.1 million in reduced hospitalizations; however, health care costs would increase by $166.4 million, which researchers said would primarily be due to increased longevity.
Further data also revealed that productivity costs due to premature death would decrease by $1.99 billion and nonmedical expenditures would increase by $928 million, resulting in a net gain of $894 million. On an individual basis, for each quitter, considering only intervention costs, the program would cost $540.
“Smoking cessation counseling with supportive contact after discharge for smokers admitted with acute MI has the potential to be cost-effective relative to the standard of care and may lead to significant reductions in the incidence of smoking and its associated adverse health events and social costs,” the researchers concluded. “Medicare and other health insurers should explore the inclusion of continued supportive contact with patients hospitalized for acute MI who smoke as a quality measure.”
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