ArticlePloS one2017
Cost-effectiveness of a transitional pharmaceutical care program for patients discharged from the hospital.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Calculating the cost of medication errors: A systematic review of approaches and cost variables.BMJ open quality · 2024Pooled it
- Medication review in hospitalised patients to reduce morbidity and mortality.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- Implementation of a medicine management plan (MMP) to reduce medication-related harm (MRH) in older people post-hospital discharge: a randomised controlled trial.BMC geriatrics · 2022Trial
- The Pharmacist Discharge Care (PHARM-DC) study: A multicenter RCT of pharmacist-directed transitional care to reduce post-hospitalization utilization.Contemporary clinical trials · 2021Trial
- Cost-effectiveness of a clinical medication review in vulnerable older patients at hospital discharge, a randomized controlled trial.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2019Trial
- Optimizing the Pharmacotherapy of Vascular Surgery Patients at Hospital Admission and Discharge (PHAROS): Protocol for a Quasi-Experimental Clinical Uncontrolled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- Pharmacist-led interventions for vascular surgery patients: a prospective study on reducing drug-related problems.BMC health services research · 2024Observational
- Cost-utility analysis of transitional care services for older inpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Korea.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2024Article
- Assessment of an electronic patient record system on discharge prescribing errors in a Tertiary University Hospital.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2021Article
- The medication discrepancy detection service: A cost-effective multidisciplinary clinical approach.Atencion primaria · 2021Article
- Conducting a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Transitional Care Programmes: The Key Challenges and Recommendations.International journal of integrated care · 2020Article
- Medication-related harm in older adults following hospital discharge: development and validation of a prediction tool.BMJ quality & safety · 2020Article
- Can doctors identify older patients at risk of medication harm following hospital discharge? A multicentre prospective study in the UK.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTo improve continuity of care at hospital admission and discharge and to decrease medication errors pharmaceutical care programs are developed. This study aims to determine the cost-effectiveness of the COACH program in comparison with usual care from a societal perspective.
methodsA controlled clinical trial was performed at the Internal Medicine department of a general teaching hospital. All admitted patients using at least one prescription drug were included. The COACH program consisted of medication reconciliation, patient counselling at discharge, and communication to healthcare providers in primary care. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with an unplanned rehospitalisation within three months after discharge. Also, the number of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) was assessed. Cost data were collected using cost diaries. Uncertainty surrounding cost differences and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios between the groups was estimated by bootstrapping.
resultsIn the COACH program, 168 patients were included and in usual care 151 patients. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with unplanned rehospitalisations (mean difference 0.17%, 95% CI -8.85;8.51), and in QALYs (mean difference -0.0085, 95% CI -0.0170;0.0001). Total costs for the COACH program were non-significantly lower than usual care (-€1160, 95% CI -3168;847). Cost-effectiveness planes showed that the program was not cost-effective compared with usual care for unplanned rehospitalisations and QALYs gained.
conclusionThe COACH program was not cost-effective in comparison with usual care. Future studies should focus on high risk patients and include other outcomes (e.g. adverse drug events) as this may increase the chances of a cost-effective intervention. Dutch trial register NTR1519.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.