Care Management to Reduce Disparities and Control Hypertension in Primary Care: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Project ReD CHiP (reducing disparities and controlling hypertension in primary care) care management was a clinic-based intervention that aimed to improve blood pressure control through improved care coordination and provide self-management support to patients from racially and socioeconomically.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ReD CHiP care management versus standard care to treat hypertension in diverse communities.

RESEARCH DESIGN: Microsimulation model from a health care sector perspective over 15 years. We used the published literature to inform our model including the ReD CHiP trial and the age-specific and race-specific cardiovascular disease risk equations. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the uncertainty.

SUBJECTS: Primary prevention in a racially diverse setting.

MEASURES: Costs per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) to produce an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

RESULTS: ReD CHiP had an increase of $2114 and 0.04 QALYs. The ICER was $52,850/QALY. Predominately African American (ICER: $48,250/QALY) and elderly populations (ie, age 65+) derived value from ReD CHiP (ICER: $39,525/QALY). The value of ReD CHiP varied with changes in the reduction in systolic blood pressure (5 mm Hg reduction, ICER: $133,300/QALY; 15 mm Hg reduction, ICER: $18,767/QALY). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis indicated that ReD CHiP CM was cost-effective in over 90% of simulations, based on a willingness-to-pay of $100,000/QALY.

CONCLUSIONS: ReD CHiP care management is cost-effective to prevent negative consequences of hypertension. African American and elderly patients have more favorable ICERs, recommending targeted interventions to improve health equity among vulnerable patient populations.