Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36940668›Full record

ArticleThe American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene2023

Cost-Effectiveness of Expanding Access to Primary Health Care in Rural Rwanda by Adding Laboratory-Equipped Health Posts: A Prospective, Controlled Study.

Donald S Shepard, Yara A Halasa-Rappel, Wu Zeng, Katharine R Rowlands, Sabine F Musange

Abstract readControlled Clinical Trial
In one paragraph

Article in The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Donald S ShepardThe Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.
Yara A Halasa-RappelThe Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.
Wu ZengDepartment of Global Health, School of Health, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia.
Katharine R RowlandsThe Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.
Sabine F MusangeSchool of Public Health, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To improve access to affordable primary health care and preventive services, in 2019 Rwanda's Ministry of Health inaugurated eight laboratory-equipped second-generation health posts (SGHPs) in the Bugesera District. Patient fees through Rwanda's insurance system (mutuelles) funded most operational costs through a public-private partnership. This prospective, controlled trial evaluated the posts' impact and cost-effectiveness. Our evaluation matched the rural cells containing these posts to eight control cells in Bugesera without formal health posts. We assessed costs using 2 years of financial data; accessed use statistics at SGHPs, health centers, and in the international literature; interviewed 1,952 randomly selected residents; conducted eight focus groups; and performed difference-in-differences regressions and survival analyses. Second-generation health posts increased primary care use by 1.83 outpatient visits per person per year (P < 0.0001). Of the 10 prevention indicators compared with trends, two improved significantly with SGHPs (two showed nonsignificant improvements), and one indicator experienced a significant deterioration. Second-generation health posts generated health improvements at a low cost and achieved a small, but favorable, 5% margin of revenues over financial costs. Second-generation health posts produced a very favorable incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of only $101 per disability-adjusted life year averted-only 13% of Rwanda's per-capita gross national income. In conclusion, SGHPs improved substantially the quantity of affordable outpatient care per person. However, net impacts on quality and completeness of care and prevention, although favorable, were small. For further improvements in access and quality of care, Rwanda's health authorities may wish to incentivize quality and strengthen coordination with other health system components.

Indexed as

Government ProgramsPrimary Health CareCost-Benefit AnalysisHumansProspective StudiesRwanda

Identifiers

PMID36940668
PMCPMC10160894

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Registered trials

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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.