Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

A health economic evaluation of Finding My Way-Advanced, a self-guided digital mental health intervention for women with metastatic breast cancer. (146286)

Lisa Beatty 1 , Billingsley Kaambwa 1 , Taylor-Jade Woods 1 , Morgan Leske 1 , Emma Kemp 1 , Amy Rigg 1 , Robyn Combes 2 , Chantal Corthals 3 , Afaf Girgis 4 , Nicholas J Hulbert-Williams 5 , Richard Woodman 1 , Jane Beith 6 , Frances Boyle 7 , Anthony Daly 8 , Belinda E Kiely 9 , Nicholas Zdenkowski 10 , Desmond Yip 11 , Katherine (Kate) Cox 12 , Anna Rachelle Mislang 13 , Michelle Nottage 14 , Jessica Sharp 15 , Sina Vatandoust 1 13 , The FMW-A Authorship Group 1 , Bogda Koczwara 1 4
  1. Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  2. Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, Adelaide, Australia
  3. Breast Cancer Network Australia, Camberwell, VIC
  4. University of NSW, Sydney, NSW
  5. Edge Hill University, Edge HIll, UK
  6. Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Sydney
  7. Sydney University, Sydney, NSW
  8. Cancer Council SA, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  9. Campbelltown Hospital, Sydney, NSW
  10. Newcastle University, Newcastle, NSW
  11. Australian National University, Canberra, ACT
  12. Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide
  13. Medical Oncology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  14. Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
  15. Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, VIC

Background: Digital mental health interventions have increasing evidence of clinical efficacy; however health economic evaluations are rarely conducted, particularly in metastatic populations. The present study aimed to address this gap by conducting a health economic evaluation of Finding My Way-Advanced (FMW-A), a self-guided six-module psychosocial program tailored for women with metastatic breast cancer (intervention), compared to digital resources ‘My Journey’ available through Breast Cancer Network Australia (minimal-intervention attention control).

Methods: Within-trial incremental costs associated with FMW-A compared to control were estimated using Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data over the trial’s 6-month follow-up time horizon. The primary health economics outcome was the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) gained, calculated using the EuroQol 5-dimension 5-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) utilities from baseline, post-intervention (6-weeks post-baseline), and 3- and 6-months post-intervention. Cost-effectiveness was analysed using linear mixed-effects models, with patient-level bootstrapping resampling (2000 replicates) and 95% confidence intervals, to allow for bivariate uncertainty and maintain the covariance structure.

Results: Consent to access MBS/PBS data was obtained from 65/280 participants (23%; FMW-A n=28; Control n=37). QALYs were calculated for 161/280 participants with complete data (58%; FMW-A n=70; Control n=91). FMW-A had lower mean total costs (Mdiff= -$3230; 95% CI: -11,413-4715, p=.43), largely driven by lower pharmaceutical costs (Mdiff =- $3836, 95% CI: -11,992-4017, p=.35) compared to control, while QALYs were identical.  There were no significant differences in GP, allied health, or mental health usage. Overall, confidence intervals were wide and analyses provided no significant differences in either costs or outcomes.

Conclusions: Despite the small, underpowered nature of this health economic analysis, results suggest potential for modest cost savings. This, combined with previously reported promising efficacy data, provides support for the clinical implementation of FMW-A.