A Health Economic Evaluation of Digital Digestive Care Management

OBJECTIVES: Chronic gastrointestinal disorders are common and costly for employers. We sought to evaluate the effects of an employer-sponsored digital digestive care program on health care spending. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective controlled cohort study. METHODS: Using propensity score matching of participants and nonparticipants, we evaluated the health care spending of users of a digital digestive care program vs matched controls. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean (SD) age of the 347 participants and 1041 matched controls was 44 (10) years, 87% were female, and total mean (SD) annual health care spending was $8884 ($12,884) per member per year (PMPY). The mean program cost was $345 PMPY. Our results show savings of $5.87 for every dollar invested ($2026 savings PMPY / $345 program cost PMPY), for a net return on investment of $4.87 for every $1.00 invested after subtracting program costs. CONCLUSIONS: Digital digestive care is promising as a cost-saving employer-sponsored benefit.