Studies on the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Activities for Health Promotion in Rural Communities

Abstract

We have carried out mass health screenig projects and health-related educational programs including those for health promotion and lifestyle improvements. The purpose of this study was to clarify how instrumental those activities are in preventing disease and cutting down outlays for medical care. The findings are as follows:
1. In an analysis of the costs shared by all municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the larger the number of public health nurses and the higher the response rate of the basic health screening, the lower the various outlays for health care of seniors and others.
2. In the municipalities where activities for health care are briskly evolved, the percapita outlay for medical care under the NHIS is low-significantly low for the medical care of seniors, in particular-and the drop in the outlay for medical care is large as against the cost involved in health screening. Conversely, in the municipalities where the per-capital expenditure for medical care under the NHIS was low, the activities for health screening and health-related education were brisk.
3. In an analysis of Rezept, or bills for medical care, the higher the willingness to undergo a health screening, the lower the expenditure for medical care under the NHIS. This holds true particularly of the NHIS expenditure for the medical care of inpatients.
4. Gastric mass screenig is instrumental in reducing the mortality rate of stomach cancer. Its cost-effectiveness could be ascertained when the lost profit was included.
5. Mass health screening was not directly tied in with a drop in the morbidity prevalence rate, but it was found instrumental in improving everyday life practices.