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The cost-effectiveness of primary care referral to a UK commercial weight loss programme.
- Source :
-
Clinical obesity [Clin Obes] 2014 Dec; Vol. 4 (6), pp. 324-32. - Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- Primary care referral to commercial weight loss programmes that follow best practice is included in current UK guidance on the management of adult obesity. This study investigated whether such a programme was cost-effective compared with usual care. A decision-analytical Markov model was developed to estimate the lifetime costs and benefits of the referral programme compared with usual care and enable a cost-utility analysis. The model cohort transited between body mass index classifications and type 2 diabetes, stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) with risk, cost and effect parameter values taken from published literature. The cost per incremental quality-adjusted life year (QALY) was calculated. Extensive deterministic and scenario sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were conducted. At 12 months, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was £6906, indicating that programme referral was cost-effective. Over a lifetime, referral to the commercial programme was dominant as it led to a cost saving of £924 and conferred incremental benefit (0.22 QALY) over usual care. Model simulations estimated lower lifetime rates of type 2 diabetes, stroke and MI as a result of the weight loss achieved. The results were robust to extensive sensitivity analyses. The PSA indicated that programme referral had a 68% chance of being cost-effective at a willingness to pay per incremental QALY threshold of £20,000. Referral to the programme dominated usual care, being both cheaper and more effective. These results compare favourably with economic evaluations of other obesity interventions and add to a growing evidence base on the cost-effectiveness of commercial weight loss providers and practices.<br /> (© 2014 World Obesity.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1758-8111
- Volume :
- 4
- Issue :
- 6
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Clinical obesity
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 25826162
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.12077