Cost-effectiveness of a worksite hypertension treatment program.

The cost-effectiveness of treating hypertension at the patient's place of work was compared in a randomized controlled trial with care delivered in a community. The average total cost per patient for worksite care in this 12-month study was not significantly different from that for regular care (242. 86 +/- 6. 94 vs 211. 34 +/- 18. 66, mean +/- SEM). The worksite health system cost was significantly more expensive (197. 36 +/- 4. 99 vs 129. 33 +/- 13. 34, p less than 0. 001) but the patient cost was significantly less (45. 40 +/- 3. 23 vs 82. 00 +/- 6. 20, p less than 0. 01). The mean reduction in diastolic blood pressure (BP) at the year-end assessment was significantly greater in the worksite group (12. 1 +/- 0. 6 vs 6. 5 +/- 0. 6 mm Hg, p less than 0. 001). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 5. 63 per mm Hg for worksite care was less than the base cost-effectiveness ratio of 32. 51 per mm Hg for regular care, indicating that the worksite program was substantially more cost-effective. Our findings support health policies that favor allocating resources to work-based hypertension treatment programs for the target group identified in this study.