Departmental Research Projects
Evaluating the County Durham Worklessness and Health Support Programme, County Durham Primary Care Trust, £550,000
A research project of the Department of Geography.
Background
In line with NICE guidance, an NHS commissioned case management intervention was provided for individuals receiving Incapacity Benefit payments for three years or more in the North East of England. The intervention aimed to improve the health of participants.
Funding
The project is funded by the following grant.
- Evaluating The County Durham Worklessness (£524560.31 from County Durham & Darlington PCT)
Aims
To provide a prospective pilot evaluation of the effectiveness and cost-utility of a ‘health first’ case management service for long-term Incapacity Benefit recipients.
Methods
131 participants receiving the intervention were compared over nine months with a (non-equivalent) comparison group of 229 receiving Incapacity Benefit payments and usual care. Health was measured using EQ-5D, EQ-VAS, SF-8 HADS and the Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaire. Socio-demographic and health behaviour data were also collected. Fixed effects linear models with correlated errors were used to compare health changes between groups over time. A preliminary cost-utility analysis was also conducted.
Findings
Comparison group measures of health were stable over time. Starting from comparatively poor initial levels, case management group generic (EQ5D, EQ-VAS) and mental health (HADS-A, HADS-D and SF8-MCS) measures improved within six months to similar levels found in the comparison group. Musculoskeletal (Nordic 2) and health behaviours did not improve. Tentative estimates of cost-utility suggest the intervention cost in the region of £16,700 to £23,500 per QALY.
Case management interventions may improve the health of incapacity benefit recipients. Further research is required to help confirm these pilot findings.
Published Results
Journal papers: academic
- Warren, J., Bambra, C., Kasim, A., Garthwaite, K., Mason, J. & Booth, M. (2013). Prospective pilot evaluation of the effectiveness and cost-utility of a "health first" case management service for long-term Incapacity Benefit recipients. Journal of Public Health 1-9.