The cost-effectiveness of collegiate recovery programs

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis of collegiate recovery programs in the United States and to create a tailorable cost-effectiveness calculator based on the preliminary cost-effectiveness model. METHODS: Cost-effectiveness was assessed with a base case, one-way sensitivity analyses, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses for the societal and health systems (institutions of higher education) perspectives, comparing CRPs to treatment as usual. Models were estimated using secondary data sources. A cost-effectiveness calculator was constructed using the models developed for the cost-effectiveness analysis. RESULTS: CRPs were found to be cost-effective across all models. Institutional and societal models were robust to changes in parameters. CONCLUSIONS: CRPs are a cost-effective intervention and are cost-saving under certain conditions. A free online calculator developed form this analysis is available to estimate program-specific cost-effectiveness.