Measuring Costs to Community-Based Agencies for Implementation of an Evidence-Based Practice

• Published in: The journal of behavioral health services & research Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 122 - 134
• Main Authors: Lang, Jason M., Connell, Christian M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.01.2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alcohol; Ambulatory Care Facilities - economics; Behavior modification; Children & youth; Clinical psychology; Clinics; Cognitive ability; Cognitive behavioral therapy; Cognitive Therapy; Collaboration; Collaborative learning; Community and Environmental Psychology; Community health services; Community-based programs; Cost control; Cost estimates; Costs; Costs and Cost Analysis; Data collection; Dissemination; Evidence based research; Evidence-based practice; Evidence-Based Practice - economics; Health care; Health care expenditures; Health Informatics; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health Psychology; Health services; Intervention; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental health care; Outpatient care facilities; Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act 2010-US; Policy making; Primary Health Care; Psychiatry; Public Health; Quality of care; Reimbursement; Reporting requirements; Supervision; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teams; Time use; Training; Trauma; Wounds and Injuries - psychology; United States > US; Implementation Team; Implementation Cost; Staff Time; Senior Leader; Behavioral Health
• ISSN: 1094-3412; 1556-3308
• DOI: 10.1007/s11414-016-9541-8

Healthcare reform has led to an increase in dissemination of evidence-based practices. Cost is frequently cited as a significant yet rarely studied barrier to dissemination of evidence-based practices and the associated improvements in quality of care. This study describes an approach to measuring the incremental, unreimbursed costs in staff time and direct costs to community-based clinics implementing an evidence-based practice through participating in a learning collaborative. Initial implementation costs exceeding those for providing “treatment as usual” were collected for ten clinics implementing trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy through participation in 10-month learning collaboratives. Incremental implementation costs of these ten community-based clinic teams averaged the equivalent of US$89,575 (US$ 2012). The most costly activities were training, supervision, preparation time, and implementation team meetings. Recommendations are made for further research on implementation costs, dissemination of evidence-based practices, and implications for researchers and policy makers.