The Value of Supportive Care: A Systematic Review of Cost-Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Dementia
PLoS One
Guzzon, A., Rebba, V., et al. (2023).
PLoS One, 18(5), e0285305.
This systematic review investigates the effects and cost-effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for people with dementia. Some cognitive therapies discussed in the article are described as occupational therapy but are summarized here because they also fall within the scope of practice of a speech-language pathologist.
Opera Immacolata Concezione (Italy)
From database inception through December 2021
Randomized-controlled trials or prospective cohort studies
39
<div>Community-based behavioral and cognitive interventions were found to be one of the most cost-effective forms of treatment, with improvements in outcome measures such as the process scale and performance scale for people with dementia and the competence scale for care partners. The Tailored Activity Program had moderate cost-effectiveness for care partners.</div>
<div>For individuals with mild-to-moderate dementia, cognitive stimulation programs showed moderate cost-effectiveness for outcomes such as self-assessed goal attainment, cognitive function, quality of life, and quantity of long-term care needed.</div>
<div>One reminiscence group therapy program and one robotic plushie therapy intervention showed no cost-effectiveness due to a lack of impact on outcomes.</div>
