BACKGROUND: A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a tablet-based application, SMART4MD, in improving or maintaining the quality of life for person with mild cognitive impairment (PwMCI) and their informal caregivers. The objective is to conduct an 18-month economic evaluation of the SMART4MD app, in addition to standard care, compared to standard care alone in Sweden and Spain from a healthcare provider perspective.
METHOD: A total of 345 dyads (173 received intervention; 172 received standard care) participated from Sweden, and 347 PwMCI (174 received intervention; 173 received standard care) participated from Spain. The primary outcome measure was quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The findings are reported as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER).
RESULT: The intervention was dominated by standard care at the Swedish site, but at the Spanish site, the ICER was €3,337/QALY for PwMCI. For the informal caregivers at the Swedish site, the ICER was €78,000/QALY. However, neither costs nor QALYs were statistically significantly different for dyads or PwMCI in both sites.
CONCLUSION: The difference in site-specific results warrants further exploration of the use of the SMART4MD application for PwMCI in terms of cost-effectiveness.
