Objectives: An educational healthcare circuit (EHC) is proposed with the objective of preventing weight recovery of patients after bariatric surgery through education and lifestyle change. The objective of this study was to measure the viability of the EHC (shared medical appointments [SMAs] combined with bariatric surgery) through cost-effectiveness analysis. The EHC presented in this study is innovative because it offers a multidisciplinary approach based on medical, psychological and dietetic expertise to combat obesity. The strategy is to give the patient a diagnosis and then a personalised follow-up.
Study design: A mathematical model based on a decision tree (1 year) and a Markov model (10 years) to measure the efficiency and cost of an EHC in comparison with the customary care offered in France were built.
Methods: The effects of the EHC were observed for the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the risk of cardiovascular disease. The chosen financial perspective is from the point of view of the French social security system.
Results: The EHC records an incremental cost-effective ratio (ICER) of € 48,315.43 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) over a 1-year horizon and € 28,283.77 per QALY over 10 years (with discount rate of 8%: € 25,362.85 per QALY).
Conclusion: The results suggest that an EHC is more expensive yet more effective than usual care. That is, in the short term, the costs are high, but at 10 years, the treatment is cost-effective, representing a feasible alternative for those patients who qualify for bariatric surgery in France.
Keywords: Bariatric surgery; Cardiovascular diseases; Cost-effectiveness; Obesity; Type 2 diabetes.
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