The societal impact of implementing an at-home blood sampling device for chronic care patients: patient preferences and cost impact

• Published in: BMC health services research Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. 1529 - 11
• Main Authors: Lingervelder, Deon, Kip, Michelle M. A., Wiese, Eva D., Koffijberg, Hendrik, Ijzerman, Maarten J., Kusters, Ron
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 15.12.2022; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Age; Analysis; At-home blood-sampling; Blood tests; Care and treatment; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Clinical medicine; Cost-minimization analysis; Costs; Development and progression; Diabetes; Disease; Dogs; Economic aspects; Gender; Health Administration; Health care management; Health Informatics; Health services; Home medical tests; Kidney diseases; Laboratories; Medical care, Cost of; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nursing Research; Patients; Phlebotomy; Polls & surveys; Population; Public Health; Sampling error; Social aspects; Netherlands; Chronic diseases; At-home blood-sampling; Phlebotomy; Cost-minimization analysis
• ISSN: 1472-6963; 1472-6963
• DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08782-w

Background Diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and thyroid diseases are chronic diseases that require regular monitoring through blood tests. This paper first investigates the experiences of chronic care patients with venipuncture and their expectations of an at-home blood-sampling device, and then assesses the impact on societal costs of implementing such a device in current practice. Methods An online survey was distributed among chronic care patients to gain insight into their experience of blood sampling in current practice, and their expectations of an at-home blood-sampling device. The survey results were used as input parameters in a patient-level monte carlo analysis developed to represent a hypothetical cohort of Dutch chronically ill patients to investigate the impact on societal costs compared to usual care. Results In total, 1311 patients participated in the survey, of which 31% experience the time spent on the phlebotomy appointment as a burden. Of all respondents, 71% prefer to use an at-home blood-sampling device to monitor their chronic disease. The cost analysis indicated that implementing an at-home blood-sampling device increases the cost of phlebotomy itself by €27.25 per patient per year, but it reduces the overall societal costs by €24.86 per patient per year, mainly due to limiting productivity loss. Conclusions Patients consider an at-home blood-sampling device to be more user-friendly than venous phlebotomy on location. Long waiting times and crowded locations can be avoided by using an at-home blood-sampling device. Implementing such a device is likely cost-saving as it is expected to reduce societal costs.