Cost benefit analysis of advanced Allied Health Practitioner roles in hospital avoidance clinics

 

Project description

The project explored the potential for integrating advanced Allied Health Practitioner (AHP) roles into hospital avoidance clinics across South Australia. These clinics aim to provide timely, community-based care for patients who would otherwise go to emergency departments or be admitted to hospital. The implementation of AHP roles into these clinics is designed to improve patient outcomes, reduce system pressure, and support more efficient use of public health resources. The analysis compared current treatment pathways with a proposed model of care, assessing direct and social costs linked to the proposed AHP roles.

BDO's role

BDO were engaged to conduct a cost-benefit analysis that estimates the associated costs and benefits of integrating these roles in clinics. As part of the engagement, BDO:

• Reviewed existing literature and conducted a case study of the CALHN Bright service to identify potential health system and individual benefits and assist in informing model assumptions.
• Conducted a cost-benefit analysis comparing current emergency department pathways with a proposed model of care.
• Estimated statewide costs and benefits using a combination of hospital cost data and workforce modelling, including infrastructure, staffing, and operational requirements.
• Assessed the financial impact of diverting patients from emergency departments and hospitals to community-based clinics, including cost savings and improved service flow.

Project outcomes

BDO’s analysis supported the case for implementing a statewide model of care that integrates advanced allied health roles into hospital avoidance clinics. The assessment identified a net social benefit for the proposed model of care and supported the case for this to continue development. This project helped to pinpoint opportunities and challenges in the model and provided the resulting impact in anticipated social value.