Cost-Effectiveness of the START Hospital Addiction Consultation Service for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Source:

Okunogbe A, Peltz A, Danovitch I, Ober AJ, Nuckols TK. Cost-Effectiveness of the START Hospital Addiction Consultation Service for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(5):e2611324. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.11324

Key Points

Question  Is a hospital-based addiction consultation service (ACS) cost-effective for increasing the initiation of US Food and Drug Administration–approved medication for opioid use disorder in the hospital and linking patients to follow-up care after discharge?

Findings  In this economic evaluation of 325 patients, a hospital-based ACS was cost-effective compared with usual care. From a health-sector perspective, the ACS was associated with an incremental cost of $162 and 0.0103 quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained per person, leading to an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $15 750/QALY gained.

Meaning  These findings suggest that the hospital-based ACS was a cost-effective way to improve care for hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder.