Cost effectiveness Analysis for Evidence based Project

10 4 Collaboration on Cost-effectiveness Analysis This evidence-based project has addressed the use of bilingual interpreters in enhancing patient-provider communication during provider visits in comparison to using family members as interpreters. It is common knowledge that Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients face communication challenges when seeking for primary and preventative health care services. Family members are sometimes used as interpreters to help improve communication between patients and health care providers.

However, this evidence-based project has established that the use of bilingual interpreters would help to improve patient-provider communication as compared to using family members. For the purposes of this evidence-based project, a basic budget and cost minimization analysis as described by Kleinpell (2013) will be completed as shown in Appendix A. The basic budget and cost minimization, which is part of the cost-effectiveness analysis, is based on the assumption that the use of bilingual interpreters would help improve patient-provider communication.

As a result, the measurable outcome in this project is improvement in patient-provider communication, which in turn enhances patient outcomes in the clinical setting. The evidence-based project would be significant in encouraging healthcare providers, especially in emergency rooms, to utilize bilingual interpreters when dealing with Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients or those from other cultural/ethnic backgrounds. The cost-benefit analysis is written as if the healthcare provider was underwriting the direct costs of the use of bilingual interpreters in the healthcare setting.

While an evidence-based project of this nature is likely to be supported by grant funding or through in-kind contributions, the implementation of this intervention is a responsibility of the healthcare provider. Therefore, undertaking the cost-benefit analysis as if the healthcare provider was underwriting the direct costs is critical toward determining the effectiveness or efficiency of the proposed intervention. Additionally, the cost-benefit analysis is written in a manner that demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the intervention. Efficiency provides insights on how the intervention (i.e.

use of bilingual interpreters in patient-provider communication) functions under experimental situations. On the other hand, effectiveness demonstrates how the intervention would work in the real world (Muennig & Bounthavong, 2016). Therefore, the cost-effectiveness analysis provides insights on how the proposed intervention is likely to work in daily clinical practice. As shown in the cost-benefit analysis in Appendix A, the development and implementation of this evidence-based project would incur some costs.

Some of these costs relate to provider survey deployment and analysis, data collection, data analysis, collaboration with healthcare providers and patients, and printing. Additional costs include staffing, equipment, and training costs on the implementation of the proposed intervention. These costs would include both direct and indirect costs incurred by the researcher in development and implementation of the project in the selected healthcare facility. The measurable outcome of improved patient-provider communication will be determined over a 3-month time frame for all LEP patients visiting the healthcare provider during this period.

The anticipated benefit of this project is to enhance patient-provider communication during care delivery for these patients. The other measurable outcome of this project is enhanced patient outcomes, which will be reflected through decreased patient re-hospitalization and provider time savings. Provider time savings is based on 20 minutes per 50 encounters with new Limited.