Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this research is to determine the costs and benefits of the treatment of malnutrition, specifically dietary treatment with the use of oral nutritional supplements, when necessary, in The Netherlands in 2023.
METHODS: This cost-benefit analysis is based on a decision tree model. The population is stratified in patients in hospitals, nursing homes/care homes and elderly at home with or without home care. The costs and benefits are based on units of medical resource utilisation and reference prices for treatment of malnutrition and the clinical consequences of malnutrition. The analysis includes medical, non-medical, indirect (medical) costs and the monetary values of gained QALYs.
RESULTS: The costs of treatment of malnutrition have been calculated at €360 million and the benefits in direct medical costs from treatment of malnutrition are €583 million, leading to a net saving in direct medical costs of €223 million in the initial year of malnutrition. The total net cost savings increase to €749 million after inclusion of non-medical, indirect costs and monetary value of gained QALYs. An extension of the analysis to 5 years leads to total net savings of €5.2 billion. The treatment of malnutrition results in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €15,552 per QALY over a lifetime horizon.
CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that every euro spent on the treatment of malnutrition yields €2.08 in the year in which the malnutrition occurs. The analysis over 5 years shows that every €1 invested in the treatment of malnutrition leads to a net saving of €14.44. This study shows that treatment of malnutrition is cost-saving for both medical costs and total costs in both the short and longer term. In addition, the treatment of malnutrition, specifically dietary treatment with the use of oral nutritional supplements, when necessary, is very cost-effective over a lifetime period.