Modeling of annual treatment costs and health outcomes of antipsychotic agents for schizophrenic populations

Abstract

Schizophrenia is associated with the extensive use of inpatient services,
so the costs of treating it are substantial. As a result, a treatment
that can reduce the symptoms leading to inpatient care may decrease
the overall costs and increase the quality of life for patients, their families,
and society. Today, healthcare planners are faced with the delicate
balancing act of providing the best care possible within limited budgets.
A risk in budget assessment is looking at line items individually rather
than at the total healthcare costs and clinical outcomes. For example,
a drug may increase pharmacy budgets but lower inpatient services
use or increase employment. A population model is described that
can be used to predict the impact of new agents, such as atypical
antipsychotics, and help decision makers plan budgets and revise
current treatment strategies accordingly. Population models
enable planners to plug in the cost and incidence numbers for their
patient population and examine the total cost and patient outcomes.
Such models provide a bigger picture of disease state management
within a given setting.