Apunipima baby basket program: a retrospective cost study

Edmunds, Kim, Searles, Andrew, Neville, Johanna, Ling, Rod, McCalman, Janya, and Mein, Jacki (2016) Apunipima baby basket program: a retrospective cost study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 16. 337. pp. 1-7.

[img]
Preview
PDF (Published Version) - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (724kB) | Preview
View at Publisher Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12884-016-113...
 
2
1042


Abstract

Background: The Baby Basket initiative was developed by Apunipima Cape York Health Council (ACYHC) to address poor maternal and child health (MCH) in Cape York, the northernmost region of Queensland. While positive outcomes for Indigenous MCH programs are reported in the literature, few studies have a strong evidence base or employ a sound methodological approach to evaluation. The aim of the cost study is to identify the resources required to deliver the Baby Basket program in the remote communities of Cape York. It represents an initial step in the economic evaluation of the Apunipima Baby Basket program. The aim of this study was to report whether the current program represents an effective use of scarce resources.

Method: The cost study was conducted from the perspective of the health providers and reflects the direct resources required to deliver the Baby Basket program to 170 women across 11 communities represented by ACYHC. A flow diagram informed by interviews with ACYHC staff, administrative documents and survey feedback was used to map the program pathway and measure resource use. Monetary values, in 2013 Australian dollars, were applied to the resources used to deliver the Baby Basket program for one year.

Results: The total cost of delivering the Baby Basket progam to 170 participants in Cape York was $148,642 or approximately, $874 per participant. The analysis allowed for the cost of providing the Baby Baskets to remote locations and the time for health workers to engage with women and thereby encourage a relationship with the health service. Routinely collected data showed improved engagement between expectant women and the health service during the life of the program.

Conclusion: The Apunipima Baby Basket cost study identifies the resources required to deliver this program in remote communities of Cape York and provides a framework that will support prospective data collection of more specific outcome data, for future cost-effectiveness analyses and cost-benefit analyses. An investment of $874 per Baby Basket participant was associated with improved engagement with the health service, an important factor in maternal and child health.

Item ID: 49186
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1471-2393
Keywords: maternal and child health, Indigenous, remote, cost study, economic evaluation
Additional Information:

© 2016 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.

Funders: Lowitja Institute (LI)
Date Deposited: 13 Jun 2017 02:06
FoR Codes: 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4204 Midwifery > 420499 Midwifery not elsewhere classified @ 60%
45 INDIGENOUS STUDIES > 4504 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing > 450403 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child health and wellbeing @ 40%
SEO Codes: 92 HEALTH > 9203 Indigenous Health > 920303 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health - Health System Performance (incl. Effectiveness of Interventions) @ 50%
92 HEALTH > 9202 Health and Support Services > 920206 Health Policy Economic Outcomes @ 50%
Downloads: Total: 1042
Last 12 Months: 87
More Statistics

Actions (Repository Staff Only)

Item Control Page Item Control Page