Costs and health outcomes of effectiveness studies in obstetrics: a budget impact analysis of 8 obstetric effectiveness studies

OBJECTIVE: To gain an insight into the costs and health outcomes of effectiveness studies in obstetrics at a national level. DESIGN: Budget impact analysis. METHOD: We searched for obstetric effectiveness studies. The possible budget impact of implementation in all patients in the Netherlands was calculated, as well as health benefits for mothers and their children. RESULTS: We used eight multicentre randomized trials with almost 11,000 patients in total. The total potential cost reduction for these trials was € 9.6 million per year, on the basis of a one-time investment in the trials of € 3.1 million. When implementing the results of these studies, a health benefit is shown in women with hypertension or pre-eclampsia at term, women in whom labour is induced and women with fetal monitoring. This also applied to the children of these women. Furthermore, removal or non-implementation of interventions that have no positive effect on health such as prolonged tocolysis, the use of progestogens in twin pregnancies, intrauterine pressure catheters, and induction of labour in preterm ruptured membranes reduces care costs. CONCLUSION: Adequate application of the results of effectiveness studies in obstetrics should result in considerable health gains and cost reduction when compared with provision of non-scientifically supported care.