Health Care Cost | Alcohol & Substance Misuse Evaluation Measures

Health care costs measures for alcohol and substance misuse1-4

In contrast with the worker productivity costs described above, health care costs are measures of the direct medical expenses of providing employee health care and preventive health programs.

Baseline

  • Determine costs and use for health care, such as screening, disability, hospital costs, inpatient and outpatient counseling, and treatment (e.g., medications) for alcohol and substance misuse related illness and disability
  • Determine health care use and costs of participants before education and other programs are initiated and after operation of these programs

Process

  • Periodic repeats of baseline measures

Outcome

  • Assess changes in health care use and costs from baseline
  • Compare health care use and costs of participants before education and other programs are initiated and after operation of these programs◦These measures may be affected by other circumstances, such as national education programs or changes in operation at the worksite, so they should be interpreted with caution
References

1.  Campbell KP, Lanza A, Dixon R, Chattopadhyay S, Molinari N, Finch RA, editors. A Purchaser’s Guide to Clinical Preventive Services: Moving Science into Coverage. Washington, DC: National Business Group on Health; 2006.

2.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Framework for program evaluation in public health. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1999;48(No. RR-11): 1-40.

3.  Goetzel RZ, Ozminkowski RJ. Program evaluation. In: O’Donnell MP, editor. Health promotion in the workplace, 3rd edition. Albany, NY: Delmar Thomson Learning; 2002. p 116-165.

4.  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [Internet]. Washington, DC: [cited 2009 Nov 19]. Drug-Free Workplace Kit: Evaluate the Program: [about 4 screens].