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

Authors: Fraser, Heather L. ;

Haag, Laura;

Brosnahan, Naomi;

McConnachie, Alex;

Richardson, Janice;

Haig, Caroline;

Ibbotson, Tracy R.;

Ormerod, Jane;

O'Donnell, Catherine A. ;

Lean, Michael;

Sattar, Naveed ;

Blane, David N. ;

Combet, Emilie ;

McIntosh, Emma

Source: Nature Communications

Full text

: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59909-6

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.

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Cite as

Fraser, H., Haag, L., Brosnahan, N., McConnachie, A., Richardson, J., Haig, C., Ibbotson, T., Ormerod, J., O'Donnell, C., Lean, M., Sattar, N., Blane, D., Combet, E. & McIntosh, E. 2025, 'Cost-effectiveness of the ReDIRECT/counterweight-plus weight management programme to alleviate symptoms of long COVID', Nature Communications, 16, article no: 5592. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59909-6

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59909-6

Repository URI: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/354935/