242865 AoA-funded Older Adult Falls Programs: A Retrospective Cost Study

Monday, October 31, 2011

Tara Bubniak, MPH , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Carianne Muse, MPH , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Catherine Bafaro, MBA , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Andrew Warlick, BA , Booz Allen Hamilton, Atlanta, GA
Introduction: Falls and fall-related injuries are a public health problem that can seriously affect older adults' quality of life and are a significant burden to our health care system. The current analysis examines the lifecycle costs of three Administration on Aging (AoA)-funded falls programs. Methods: As part of a contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH) developed, pilot tested, and disseminated a cost collection tool for Matter of Balance, Stepping On, and Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance. The tool was designed in consultation with the programs to collect the lifecycle costs of starting up and maintaining a program. Investment costs capture equipment, program manuals, and instructor training and materials, while maintenance costs capture staff labor, instructor refresher training, manual reproduction, new equipment, facilities, and insurance. Completed cost tools were returned over 16 months using Microsoft Excel. Results: A total of 34 AoA-funded sites were recruited and by December 2010, 26 sites had submitted completed cost tools. Based on collected data, Tai Chi cost the least in terms of annual average cost per participant completion at $194.69; Stepping On and Matter of Balance cost $654.40 and $1,346.83, respectively. The majority of costs reported across all programs were maintenance costs, while the majority of costs incurred were staff costs. Conclusion: AoA-funded falls programs vary in how they spend monies and report costs. The AoA and CDC should collaborate to develop a cost collection tool for funded falls programs to use prospectively in the future.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
1. Compare the costs of AoA-funded falls programs and the differences between the three studied programs. 2. Identify major cost drivers across the three falls programs and strategies to reduce those costs. 3. Apply the knowledge from this retrospective study to new prospective cost collection studies to determine cost effectiveness of grant-funded programs.

Keywords: Cost Issues, Injury Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have my MPH and I have been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention on this study for the past year. The study looks at three Administration on Aging-funded falls programs that are currently implemented throughout the U.S. I have played an integral role in collecting and analyzing data and providing recommendations to the CDC and AoA.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.