%0 Journal Article %A Lora L. Sabin %A Aldina Mesic %A Bao Ngoc Le %A Nafisa Halim %A Chi Thi Hue Cao %A Rachael Bonawitz %A Ha Viet Nguyen %A Anna Larson %A Tam Thi Thanh Nguyen %A Anh Ngoc Le %A Christopher J. Gill %T Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of mCME Version 2.0: An SMS-Based Continuing Medical Education Program for HIV Clinicians in Vietnam %D 2022 %R 10.9745/GHSP-D-22-00008 %J Global Health: Science and Practice %P e2200008 %V 10 %N 4 %X Key FindingsThis study found that a highly successful phone-based continuing medical education (CME) intervention for HIV clinicians in northern Vietnam was relatively low-cost and cost-effective when costs were compared to benefits.Forecasted future models that spread fixed costs over expanded nationwide versions of the program are even more appealing from a cost perspective.These findings suggest that mobile approaches to CME can be quite cost-effective and are worthy of attention in resource-constrained settings.Key ImplicationsPolicy makers and national stakeholders should consider alternatives to traditional in-person CME, including mobile approaches (based on text messages) that are convenient for participants, effective, and relatively low cost to implement.Policy makers in resource-constrained environments should consider investing in innovative and cost-effective mobile phone-based CME on a long-term and widespread basis given that such strategies may have considerable set-up costs but can motivate clinicians to improve self-study habits and increase knowledge in critical ways.Background:The Mobile Continuing Medical Education (mCME) 2.0 project was a randomized controlled trial that found that a 6-month text message-based CME intervention improved both the use of online medical training resources and medical knowledge among a cadre of HIV clinicians in Vietnam. This companion study analyzed intervention costs and cost-effectiveness.Methods:We conducted (1) a financial analysis based on costs incurred during the trial’s planning and implementation; (2) an economic analysis to consider resource utilization; and (3) cost-effectiveness analyses to estimate cost inputs relative to impact: increase in self-study (measured by visits to online courses) and increase in knowledge (measured by exam score improvement) (in 2016 US$). Finally, we estimated the economic cost of a 9-month national program and a 10-year scaled-up model (in 2021 US$).Results:The total financial cost of the intervention was US$49,552; the main cost drivers were personnel time (71.4%) and technology inputs (14.9%). The total economic cost was estimated at US$92,212, with the same key cost inputs (representing 77.7% and 8.0%, respectively, of total costs). The financial cost per 10% increase in accessing online courses was US$923, while the cost of improving knowledge, measured by a 10% improvement in mean exam score across the study population, was US$32,057 (US$605 per intervention clinician). The comparable total economic cost of each improvement, respectively, was US$1,770 and US$61,452 (US$1,159 per intervention clinician). A future 9-month national program was estimated to cost US$37,403, while the full 10-year scaled-up program was estimated at US$196,446.Conclusions:This analysis indicates that leveraging mobile technology could be a feasible way to provide distance learning to health professions across Vietnam at a relatively low cost. Given the need for practical ways to expand CME in resource-constrained regions of the world, this approach warrants further study and possible adoption. %U https://www.ghspjournal.org/content/ghsp/10/4/e2200008.full.pdf