A STUDY TO ASSESS THE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF HOME BASED EDUCATION PROGRAMME AMONG CLIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS (DM) AT SELECTED VILLAGES IN KANCHEEPURAM DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

Home based education among clients with diabetes mellitus (DM) by diabetes educator has been cost effective although some educational intervention have strong evidence on cost saving. This study aimed to assess the cost effectiveness of home based education programme on diabetic treatment among clients with diabetes mellitus.  Community based randomized controlled trial with experimental design was used in this study. Diabetic subjects who had been undergoing treatment for 3 months in Marai Malai Nagar and 9 villages at Mamandoor were selected by simple random sampling technique. 200 Participants were assigned to the study group, 200 in control group. The study group subjects were engaged in video education program, weekly once 4 sessions and nutritional counseling every 15days 30 mins for 3 months. The overall post interventional result showed from the baseline compared to control group, there was an absolute mean change in direct medical cost (from Rs 2837.05 to 1674.65), cost of investigation (from Rs 319.50 to Rs 261.11), non medical cost (from Rs 369.87 to Rs 110.79), indirect cost Rs. 412.60 to Rs 303.50) with the cost effectiveness of home based education program, and there was significant association found between the cost effectiveness and age, monthly income and housing of the diabetic subjects. Home based education is cost effective and it reduced hospitalization and complications. Health professionals can contribute to tackle the current epidemic of diabetes mellitus, and hence forth the burden of diabetic treatment cost can be reduced.