Cost/health effectiveness of home uterine activity monitoring in a Medicaid population.

It has been shown that an intensive system of preterm birth prevention using home uterine activity monitoring can decrease the number of early births. Such a system was employed in 130 public assistance (Medicaid) patients who were at high risk for preterm birth. A retrospective review of the pregnancy outcome in these subjects was conducted and their data exposed to a model for projected patient care cost. The incidence of preterm labor in the at-risk group was 46%, with an average prolongation of pregnancy of 4.9 weeks. The occurrence of preterm delivery for failed tocolysis or advanced cervical dilatation was less than 10%. Based on a cost-analysis model that considered newborn charges and monitoring expenses, nearly [corrected] $3 million (an average of $21,813 [corrected] per patient) was saved using this system.