Economic evaluation of a medication management tool and a volunteer training programme in the end-of-life setting: the iLIVE study

Date: 2019-2023
Funding: EC H2020
Collaborators:   www.iliveproject.eu/the-consortium
Web: www.iliveproject.eu
Information: Judit Simon (WP4 lead), Michael Berger, Claudia Fischer

The iLIVE project has been developed by researchers and clinicians from 14 participating sites from 13 different countries belonging to the International Collaborative for Best Care for the Dying Person. The project, which is coordinated by Professor Agnes van der Heide (Erasmus University, The Netherlands), aims to develop novel, evidence-based and sustainable interventions, to relieve the symptoms and suffering that occur at end of life for patients with advanced chronic illnesses and their families. It combines 1) an experimental study on medication management to alleviate physical symptoms, 2) a compassion-based volunteer training programme to address psychosocial distress and 3) an observational study to better understand the experience of death and dying. The DHE leads the economic evaluation of the digital medication tool to optimize medication management, and the hospital volunteer training programme (WP4). The overall aim of this work package is to generate insight in the cost-effectiveness of the two interventions. Therefore, strengths, gaps and potential concerns of economic analyses in the palliative and end-of-life care settings are assessed and two economic evaluations of the benefits and cost impacts of the two interventions are tested.  

Result(s):

• Yildiz B, Allan S, Bakan M, Barnestein-Fonseca P,  Berger M, Boughey M, et al. Live well, die well – An international cohort study on experiences, concerns and preferences of patients in the last phase of life: The research protocol of the iLIVE study. BMJ Open. 2022 Aug;12:e057229. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057229
• Fischer C, Chwala E, Simon J. Methodological aspects of economic evaluations conducted in the palliative or end of life care settings: a systematic review protocol. BMJ Open. 2020 May 27;10(5):e035760. DOI:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035760