What we did

The New Zealand Ministry of Health engaged us to conduct an evaluation of the Mobility Action Program (MAP). The MAP is a national pilot program in New Zealand that aims to provide high quality multidisciplinary support and a non-surgical treatment pathway for people experiencing musculoskeletal health conditions. The evaluation will inform decisions on which program models should be sustained or scaled up beyond the original pilot.

How we did it

We are conducting an evaluation that involves two cycles of data collection, interpretation, and analysis to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the MAP. Various MAP sites exist across New Zealand and all have been included in the evaluation. Multiple streams of data are used including participant health outcomes, health disparities, productivity, and economic data.

The project is utilising a pre-validated microsimulation model to predict the potential impact of MAP and other similar osteoarthritis programs on health and economic outcomes.

The microsimulation uses data to predict future demand for health services, healthcare and productivity costs, and health-related quality of life outcomes of MAP participants. The model will be populated with estimates of the effects and net costs of the MAP program. The model will then be run to estimate and forecast the healthcare costs, health-related quality of life and demand for health services of the MAP cohort over the medium-long term.

Benefits for the client

The evaluation has provided evidence on which aspects of the program delivery model are most effective in delivering health improvements for MAP participants.

The Cycle 1 Final Report has been published on the Ministry’s website; https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/evaluation-mobility-action-programme-map-cycle-1-final-report.