Cost-benefit analysis of home visiting to reduce infant mortality among preterm infants

Abstract

Purpose: The Following Baby Back Home (FBBH) visiting program, which is provided by nurse and social worker teams, supports families of low-birthweight preterm infants after discharge from a neonatal intensive care unit. Enrollment in the FBBH program has been documented to reduce the likelihood of infant death. In this study, we conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the FBBH program.

Design and methods: Infants enrolled in the FBBH program (N = 416) were identified through administrative records. Infants in the FBBH program were propensity score matched with comparison infants to estimate the difference in healthcare costs in the first year of life.

Results: Infants enrolled in the FBBH program incurred similar medical care costs compared to a comparison group. Avoided deaths, program costs, healthcare costs resulted in net economic benefits of the FBBH program to avoid infant death estimate at $83,020, cost per life saved at $3080, and benefit-to-cost ratio at 27.95.

Conclusions: The FBBH program's net economic benefits from avoided deaths suggest a substantial return on investment of resources, yielding benefits in excess of program and healthcare costs.

Practice implications: It is economically beneficial to provide home visiting services to families of low-birthweight babies by a team comprised of a registered nurse and social worker.

Keywords: Cost benefit; Home visit program; Low-birthweight preterm infants; Perinatal; Post-discharge.