Cost-Effectiveness of a Multi-faceted Workplace Intervention to Reduce Musculoskeletal Pain in Nursing Staff: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial (INTEVAL_Spain).
Mercè Soler-Font, Ignacio Aznar-Lou, Josué Almansa and 4 others
PMID 39102106WHAT IT FOUND
A multi-faceted workplace programme reduced musculoskeletal pain in nurses but cost more than usual care and did not improve quality-adjusted life years.
It was not cost-effective for overall health gains, though it lowered pain prevalence.
Key findings
01The intervention group had higher total costs per person (€614) compared to the control group (€216) from a societal perspective.
02The intervention was not cost-effective for quality-adjusted life years because usual care dominated the intervention.
03An additional €68 from a societal perspective was required to achieve a 1 percentage point reduction in overall musculoskeletal pain.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Questionnaires were anonymous, so effects data could not be paired. Baseline quality-adjusted life years data were not collected, limiting the ability to measure changes over time accurately. The intervention had slightly lower implementation than expected. Costs did not include over-the-counter medication or private healthcare use.
Declared interests
Funded by the Miguel Servet programme and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III-FEDER. No other conflicts of interest were reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume the intervention is cost-effective for improving overall health or quality of life. The study found that usual care dominated the intervention for quality-adjusted life years, and the intervention was only considered cost-effective for pain reduction if the decision-maker is willing to pay specifically for that outcome.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →