Cost and Activity Analysis of Patient Navigation for Persons With HIV: Comparing Health Department and Health Clinic Delivered Interventions

Abstract

Background Housing and employment are key factors in the health and well-being of people with HIV (PWH). Patient navigation programs to improve housing and employment show success in achieving viral suppression. Replicating patient navigation interventions to improve population health is needed. Understanding costs associated with patient navigation is a key next step. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the costs associated with delivering patient navigator interventions in two different organizations to improve housing and employment for PWH. Methods We conducted a cost analysis of two models of patient navigation. Costs were collected from two sites’ payroll, invoices, contracts, and receipts. Pre-implementation and implementation costs and utilization of service costs are presented. Potential reimbursement costs were calculated based on salaries from the Department of Labor. Results The health clinic’s pre-implementation costs were higher ($169,133) than the health department’s ($22,018). However, costs of patient navigation during the 2-year intervention were similar between health clinic and health department ($264,985 and $232,923, respectively). The health clinic reported more total time spent with clients (16,013.7 hours) than the health department (1,883.8 hours). The costs per additional person suppressed were $20,632 versus $37,810 for the health department and health clinic, respectively, which are lower than the average lifetime cost of HIV treatment. Discussion Replicability and scalability of a patient navigation intervention are possible in both health clinic and health department settings. Each site had specific costs, client needs, and other factors that required adaptations to successfully implement the intervention. Future programs should consider tailoring costs to site-specific factors to improve outcomes. Policymakers and public health officials should consider using these results to improve planning and investment in HIV treatment and prevention interventions.