Cost-effectiveness of the ReDIRECT/counterweight-plus weight management programme to alleviate symptoms of long COVID.

Abstract

Long-term effects of COVID-19 infection, termed Long COVID (LC), are associated with reduced quality of life. Symptoms associated with overweight/obesity overlap with and may aggravate those of LC. This paper reports the economic evaluation alongside the ReDIRECT Trial, which evaluated the impact of an evidence-based, remotely-delivered weight management programme on self-reported symptoms of LC in those living with overweight/obesity in the United Kingdom. Recruited participants (n = 234) were randomly allocated to the intervention group (weight management) or control group (usual care). Incremental costs and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) were calculated using intervention cost, healthcare resource use and EQ-5D-5L data collected at baseline, three and 6 months. In this work, we show that the ReDIRECT intervention is likely cost-effective in improving LC symptoms from an NHS/PSS perspective, compared to usual care (Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio of £14,754/QALY). Adopting a broader societal perspective, the intervention becomes potentially cost saving compared to usual care.