Cost Savings and Reduced Health Care Utilization Associated with Participation in a Digital Diabetes Prevention Program in an Adult Workforce Population.

BACKGROUND

Though in-person delivery of the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) has demonstrated medical cost savings, the economic impact of digital programs is not as well understood.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the impact of a digital DPP program on reducing all-cause health care costs and utilization among 2027 adult participants at 12 months.

METHODS

A longitudinal, observational analysis of health care claims data was conducted on a workforce population who participated in a digital diabetes prevention program. Differences in utilization and costs from the year prior to program delivery through 1 year after enrollment were calculated using medical claims data for digital DPP participants compared to a propensity matched cohort in a differences-in-differences model.

RESULTS

At 1 year, the digital DPP population had a reduction in all-cause health care spend of US$1169 per participant relative to the comparison group ( = 0.01), with US$699 of that savings coming from reduced inpatient spend ( = 0.001). Cost savings were driven by fewer hospital admissions and shorter length of stay ( < 0.001). No other significant results in cost differences were detected. There was a trend toward savings extending into the second year, but the savings did not reach statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrated significant short-term health care cost savings at 1 year associated with digital DPP program delivery.