J Pediatr Psychol. 2025 Nov 15:jsaf064. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf064. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Relatively few published guidelines on models of care to address the mental health needs of caregivers of patients with chronic illnesses exist. The purpose of this article is to conduct a budget impact analysis to estimate the costs associated with the implementation of a Caregiver Mental Health Program (CMHP) within the pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant divisions at an academic medical center.
METHODS: Psychology labor costs were calculated for individuals involved in the delivery of the CMHP (4 licensed psychologists, 1 postdoctoral fellow) over a 1-year period. Caregiver and patient demographic and clinical data were extracted from the electronic medical record. A cost calculator was used to estimate labor costs associated with program operation.
RESULTS: Providers dedicated 629.23 hours to delivering the CMHP for a total of 60 caregivers during the 1-year study period. The most time was spent in session (66% of total hours), followed by supporting activities (21%), and documentation (13%). Total costs associated with the CMHP were estimated to be $51,395.35 across the five providers.
CONCLUSIONS: This budget impact analysis is an important step in equipping relevant parties with information to estimate the financial consequences of the implementation of a CMHP. Limitations include the single-site nature of the study and the lack of information on other financial costs (e.g., start-up, administrative support). Future studies expanding this analysis to support the incorporation of billing/revenue data and caregiver outcomes will provide increased insight into the economic implications of CMHP service lines in pediatric academic medical centers.
PMID:41240386 | DOI:10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf064
