Choosing an Alternative: Which Option is the most Cost-Effective?

The medical field is constantly changing. As a health care manager, you will manage the budget and provide quality care to clients in this changing environment. A cost-effective analysis (CEA) provides one method to manage change. A CEA is a form of economic analysis that allows management to explore a number of alternatives for providing care to clients based solely on the fixed costs (FC) and variable costs (VC) associated with each alternative. The CEA process assumes each alternative will achieve the desired outcome and that a thorough review of the existing body of literature on each alternative has been explored by the organization. A CEA does not analyze the actual or perceived benefits associated with each alternative and factor that into the analysis. In fact, analysis of benefits is a separate process that should take place following the implementation of a chosen alternative.

 

To prepare for this Application Assignment, imagine you have been hired by Splendid Hills Hospital. The vice president of finance has asked you to work with an interdisciplinary committee to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and to recommend a cost-effective CAM option. Based on the committee recommendation, one of the three proposed CAM options (spinal manipulation, acupuncture, and massage therapy) would be implemented to care for clients with chronic lower back pain where more conventional therapies have been largely ineffective. You and the committee have collected the fixed costs (FC) and variable costs (VC) associated with each CAM alternative. Review the course document in your Weekly Resources entitled, “Cost-Effective Analysis for Proposed Alternative Interventions for Unresolved Lower Back Pain.” Search the Walden Library for scholarly sources to support CAM options.

 

To complete this Application Assignment, you will: 1) complete a cost-effective analysis using the data provided in this week’s course documents, 2) create a 9- to 12-slide PowerPoint presentation of your CEA results, and 3) prepare a 1- to 2-page document containing your presentation talking points.

 

Please be aware that you will submit three files for this assignment.

 

Part I: The CEA

 

Using the data provided in the Splendid Hills Hospital scenario, insert the fixed and variable costs associated with each CAM alternative into the spreadsheet. The data will be entered into the cells shaded green. Do not enter data in the cells shaded in red. The spreadsheet will automatically calculate annual costs. Once you have your cost results, you and the committee will be able to propose the most cost-effective CAM alternative. Save your results in the Excel spreadsheet for submission.

 

Part II: The Presentation of the CEA

 

In order to communicate your results, you will prepare a professional presentation for delivery to the members of the senior leadership team. You will prepare a PowerPoint slide deck comprised of 9–12 slides (not including title and reference slides). The following are the minimum slide expectations:

 

1.Title slide

 

2.Discuss the concept of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)

 

3.Identify the three CAM alternatives being considered with brief description of each

 

4.Identify the purpose and assumptions associated with a cost-effective analysis (CEA)

 

5.Share why a CEA was appropriate for determining the CAM alternative

 

6.Identify the FC, VC, and TC for acupuncture

 

7.Identify the FC, VC, and TC for massage therapy

 

8.Identify the FC, VC, and TC for spinal manipulation

 

9.Discuss which alternative is considered the most cost-effective given the CEA results

 

10.Discuss and support your recommendations for assessing the clinical outcomes following the rollout of your chosen CAM alternative

 

11.References slide

 

Refer back to the Optional Resources, in Week 1, if you need a refresher on using PowerPoint.

 

Part III: Talking Points

 

It is important that professional PowerPoint slides remain uncluttered. Having talking points, or notes, to accompany your slides helps provide your audience with additional information while maintaining uncluttered visuals. For each of your content slides (not the title and reference slide), write a brief paragraph explaining the information on the slide. Then, compile these paragraphs into a 1- to 2-page document for submission.

 

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.

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