Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis
Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease affecting 2.9 million people worldwide, often leading to permanent disability. MS patients frequently use eHealth tools due to their relatively young age. The Floodlight ® MS app is a scientifically designed smartphone...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Digital Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251314550 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832540802271674368 |
|---|---|
| author | Evelyn Walter Matthäus Traunfellner Franz Meyer Christian Enzinger Michael Guger Christian Bsteh Patrick Altmann Harald Hegen Christoph Goger Veronika Mikl |
| author_facet | Evelyn Walter Matthäus Traunfellner Franz Meyer Christian Enzinger Michael Guger Christian Bsteh Patrick Altmann Harald Hegen Christoph Goger Veronika Mikl |
| author_sort | Evelyn Walter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease affecting 2.9 million people worldwide, often leading to permanent disability. MS patients frequently use eHealth tools due to their relatively young age. The Floodlight ® MS app is a scientifically designed smartphone application that helps patients monitor hand motor skills, walking ability and cognition between medical appointments. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of using the Floodlight ® MS app alongside standard-of-care (SoC) versus SoC alone in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) from the perspective of the healthcare system. Methods A 10-year decision-analytic model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of incorporating the Floodlight ® MS app alongside SoC. The analysis included treatment-naive individuals and those already on drug therapy, modelling the app's role in early detection of disease progression and relapses to improve quality-of-life. Results For treatment-naive patients, using the Floodlight ® MS app resulted in a 2,660 € increase in total costs but yielded potential medical-cost savings of 786 € through health improvements. These patients experienced fewer relapses and slower disability progression, translating to a quality-of-life improvement of 4.5 months in perfect health and an incremental-cost-effectiveness-ratio (ICER) of 7,071 €. Pre-treated patients showed similar trends, with medical-cost savings of 718 €, an ICER of 7,864 €, and a quality-of-life improvement of 4.2 months. Higher effectiveness (+5%) led to an additional 8.3 months in perfect health and a reduction in overall costs. Conclusion The analysis demonstrates that the Floodlight ® MS app is a cost-effective digital health application, encouraging broader discussions on maximizing the potential of software-as-medical-devices within the care pathway. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-79d291e5473840ed9725e0a57eb8466d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2055-2076 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Digital Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-79d291e5473840ed9725e0a57eb8466d2025-02-04T15:03:26ZengSAGE PublishingDigital Health2055-20762025-01-011110.1177/20552076251314550Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosisEvelyn Walter0Matthäus Traunfellner1Franz Meyer2Christian Enzinger3Michael Guger4Christian Bsteh5Patrick Altmann6Harald Hegen7Christoph Goger8Veronika Mikl9 IPF Institute for Pharmaeconomic Research, Vienna, Austria IPF Institute for Pharmaeconomic Research, Vienna, Austria IPF Institute for Pharmaeconomic Research, Vienna, Austria Department of Neurology, , Graz, Austria Department of Neurology, Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen Hospital Steyr, Steyr, Austria Neurology and Psychiatry, Salzburg, Austria Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria Innovation Hub Lead, , Vienna, Austria Innovation Hub Lead, , Vienna, AustriaObjective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease affecting 2.9 million people worldwide, often leading to permanent disability. MS patients frequently use eHealth tools due to their relatively young age. The Floodlight ® MS app is a scientifically designed smartphone application that helps patients monitor hand motor skills, walking ability and cognition between medical appointments. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of using the Floodlight ® MS app alongside standard-of-care (SoC) versus SoC alone in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) from the perspective of the healthcare system. Methods A 10-year decision-analytic model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of incorporating the Floodlight ® MS app alongside SoC. The analysis included treatment-naive individuals and those already on drug therapy, modelling the app's role in early detection of disease progression and relapses to improve quality-of-life. Results For treatment-naive patients, using the Floodlight ® MS app resulted in a 2,660 € increase in total costs but yielded potential medical-cost savings of 786 € through health improvements. These patients experienced fewer relapses and slower disability progression, translating to a quality-of-life improvement of 4.5 months in perfect health and an incremental-cost-effectiveness-ratio (ICER) of 7,071 €. Pre-treated patients showed similar trends, with medical-cost savings of 718 €, an ICER of 7,864 €, and a quality-of-life improvement of 4.2 months. Higher effectiveness (+5%) led to an additional 8.3 months in perfect health and a reduction in overall costs. Conclusion The analysis demonstrates that the Floodlight ® MS app is a cost-effective digital health application, encouraging broader discussions on maximizing the potential of software-as-medical-devices within the care pathway.https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251314550 |
| spellingShingle | Evelyn Walter Matthäus Traunfellner Franz Meyer Christian Enzinger Michael Guger Christian Bsteh Patrick Altmann Harald Hegen Christoph Goger Veronika Mikl Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis Digital Health |
| title | Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis |
| title_full | Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis |
| title_fullStr | Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis |
| title_short | Cost-effectiveness of the Floodlight MS app in Austria. Unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis |
| title_sort | cost effectiveness of the floodlight ms app in austria unlocking the mystery of costs and outcomes of a digital health application for patients with multiple sclerosis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251314550 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT evelynwalter costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT matthaustraunfellner costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT franzmeyer costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT christianenzinger costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT michaelguger costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT christianbsteh costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT patrickaltmann costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT haraldhegen costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT christophgoger costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis AT veronikamikl costeffectivenessofthefloodlightmsappinaustriaunlockingthemysteryofcostsandoutcomesofadigitalhealthapplicationforpatientswithmultiplesclerosis |