Cost-Effectiveness of Community-to-Clinic Tailored Navigation for Colorectal Cancer Screening in an Underserved Population: Economic Evaluation Alongside a Group-Randomized Trial

Purpose Although screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) lowers mortality and morbidity and is generally cost-effective, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of screening promotion. Design Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a group-randomized trial. Setting: Multicultural, underinsured communities in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. Subjects English- or Spanish-speaking adults who were out of compliance for CRC screening guidelines. Intervention All participants received community-based group education (GE), and the intervention group also received tailored community-to-clinic navigation (GE+TN). Measures Number of participants screened and costs of tailored navigation, clinic visits, and CRC screening tests. Analysis Incremental cost per additional person screened from the perspective of the healthcare system with bootstrapped confidence intervals. Results Community sites were recruited and randomized to GE (n = 120) and GE + TN (n = 119). Across these sites 1154 individuals were screened, 504 were eligible, and 345 attended the group education class (n = 134 GE; n = 211 GE + TN). Screening rates (26.5% GE + TN; 10.4% GE; 16.1% increase 95% CI: 7%, 23%) and costs per participant ($271 GE + TN; $167 GE; a net cost increase of $104 95% CI: $1, $189) were significantly higher in the intervention group. Incremental cost-effectiveness was $646 (95% CI: -$68, $953) per additional person screened. Conclusion Depending on the value placed on an additional person screened, the addition of community-to-clinic tailored navigation to a community-based CRC screening promotion program may be highly cost-effective.