Home › Research › Health systems and care delivery
Cost-consequence analysis of the partner in balance program for informal carers of persons with dementia
Osstyn Sander L, Handels Ron, Rupprecht Caroline, Boots Lizzy M M, de Vugt Marjolein E. Aging & mental health, 2025-11-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Informal caregivers often seek additional support. Partner in Balance (PiB), a blended self-management program for informal caregivers of persons with dementia, presents a promising avenue for providing cost-effective support. This study aims to evaluate the cost-consequence of PiB compared to usual care. A cost-consequence analysis from a healthcare perspective was conducted within a randomized waiting-list controlled trial in the Netherlands, involving 78 informal caregivers. Intervention and healthcare costs (selection of the Resource Utilization in Dementia (RUD)), along with caregiver utility scores (ICECAP-O), were assessed over 8 weeks. Bootstrapping and sensitivity analyses tested result robustness. Compared to standard care, PiB incurred significantly higher costs (€2,027 vs. €805; p = 0.013) at 8 weeks, with the largest cost differences found for intervention and nursing home costs. PiB's caregivers reported better, though not statistically significant, utility scores (0.82 vs. 0.76; p=0.073). Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of these findings. PiB presents a promising approach to supporting caregivers of persons with dementia, indicating higher initial costs but benefits in caregiver utility. However, the study presented too many limitations to make a confident reimbursement recommendation for the caregiver program. Therefore, we recommend awaiting further research assessing the long-term cost-effectiveness and broader societal impacts of PiB before deciding on its potential reimbursement.
Key findings
- This study aims to evaluate the cost-consequence of PiB compared to usual care.
- Bootstrapping and sensitivity analyses tested result robustness.
- Compared to standard care, PiB incurred significantly higher costs (€2,027 vs. €805; p = 0.013) at 8 weeks, with the largest cost differences found for intervention and nursing home costs.
- PiB's caregivers reported better, though not statistically significant, utility scores (0.82 vs. 0.76; p=0.073).
- Sensitivity analyses supported the robustness of these findings.
Why it matters
This cost-consequence analysis found that the Partner in Balance caregiver program incurred significantly higher costs than usual care at 8 weeks, with better but not statistically significant caregiver utility scores. The authors state the study had too many limitations to make a confident reimbursement recommendation and recommend awaiting further research.
Study details
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 35/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Aging & mental health) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Aging & Mental Health: journal h-index 153 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 2 year(s) since 2026 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Marjolein Elizabeth de Vugt: h-index 57 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Maastricht University: institution h-index 876 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41208238) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 35 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2025.2573845
- PubMed: 41208238
- Original source →
- Free full text: Aging & Mental Health →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Osstyn Sander, L., Ron, H., Caroline, R., Boots Lizzy M, M., & de Vugt Marjolein, E. (2026). Cost-consequence analysis of the partner in balance program for informal carers of persons with dementia. Aging & mental health. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2573845
Vancouver
Osstyn Sander L, Ron H, Caroline R, Boots Lizzy M M, de Vugt Marjolein E. Cost-consequence analysis of the partner in balance program for informal carers of persons with dementia. Aging & mental health. 2026. doi:10.1080/13607863.2025.2573845. PMID: 41208238.
BibTeX
@article{osstynsander2026-41208238,
author = {Osstyn Sander, L. and Ron, Handels and Caroline, Rupprecht and Boots Lizzy M, M. and de Vugt Marjolein, E.},
title = {{Cost-consequence analysis of the partner in balance program for informal carers of persons with dementia}},
journal = {Aging \& mental health},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1080/13607863.2025.2573845},
pmid = {41208238},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2573845}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Health systems and care delivery
Also tagged “care”
996 studies in the library carry the topic tag “care”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 996 tagged studies.