What is known about the cost-effectiveness of neuropsychological interventions for individuals with acquired brain injury? A scoping review

The aim of this scoping review was to examine the literature related to economic evaluations of neuropsychological rehabilitation in individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI). PsychINFO, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane and CINHAL databases were searched in accordance with formal scoping review methodology. Studies were included if published between 1995 and 2019 with a study population of adults aged 18 years or more with any ABI aetiology and there was reported data on resource use, costs or comparative economic analyses as part of an outcome study for rehabilitation interventions. Case studies and trial protocols were excluded. Of 3575 records screened, 30 articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies documented cost savings from provision of various models of multidisciplinary inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation. However, these benefits were estimated without a control group. Eight studies included a cost-effectiveness analysis, and in three, the intervention was reported to be cost-effective compared to the control, one of which saved $9,654 per treated patient. Overall, few eligible studies were identified. Those that included a cost-effectiveness analysis yielded mixed evidence for interventions to be considered cost-effective for ABI. Recommendations for how to incorporate cost-effectiveness analyses into intervention studies are discussed.