Cost effective analysis after patient communication training in obstetrics : evaluating economic efficiency

Abstract

Background: In obstetrics, teamwork among healthcare professionals and effective communication with expectant parents are key to prevent adverse events during childbirth. These events can have lasting impacts on families and lead to significant costs for both the healthcare system and the affected families. The aim of this study is to evaluate the cost effectiveness of a training intervention for expectant mothers, focusing on improving effective communication in obstetrics. Study design and methods: An experimental intervention study was conducted with 76 pregnant women in the intervention group receiving patient training, and 88 in the control group. Cost effectiveness of the obstetric data was collected and evaluated with the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) classification, the internal cost of medical treatment and reimbursement by health insurance. In addition, patient characteristics, co-morbidities, and risk factors were assessed. Results: We found meaningfully lower costs per patient following patient training including communication training (patients with complications and in the intervention group 3053 Euros vs. with complications but in the control group 4523 Euros; patients without complications 2168 vs. 2418 Euros). The training significantly impacted patient safety in terms of a reduced average patient costs by 30 % only in case where women experienced complications. Conclusion: The results demonstrate the positive impact of communication training on enhancing patient safety while simultaneously reducing costs. The implementation of a patient training program focusing on communication skills for expectant parents effectively merges economic efficacy with a progressive approach in obstetrics. Furthermore, effective communication training could improve the articulation of needs, thereby bridging the gap between potentially exacerbated health inequalities for pregnant women with social risk factors.