Cost-utility of a lifestyle intervention in adolescents and young adults with spastic cerebral palsy.

Abstract

To evaluate the cost-utility of a lifestyle intervention among adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy. Single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Six university hospital/clinics in the Netherlands. Fifty-seven adolescents and young adults with spastic cerebral palsy classified as Gross Motor Functioning Classification System (GMFCS) level I-IV. A 6-month lifestyle intervention consisting of physical fitness training combined with counselling sessions focusing on physical behaviour and sports participation. Data on quality of life, direct medical costs and productivity costs were collected using standardized questionnaires. Quality adjusted life years (QALYs) were derived from the Short-Form 36 questionnaire using the Short-Form 6D. Quality of life remained stable over time for both groups. No significant differences between groups were found for direct medical costs or productivity costs. A cost-utility ratio of -€23,664 per QALY was found for the lifestyle intervention compared with no treatment. The results of this study are exploratory, but indicate that implementing a lifestyle intervention for the cerebral palsy population might be cost-effective or cost-saving compared with offering no intervention to improve physical behaviour and fitness. However, the large range of uncertainty for the cost-utility ratio should be taken into account and the results interpreted with caution.