Patient pathway and HCRU during the management of obesity in the UK
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patient pathway and healthcare utilization during the management of obesity in the United Kingdom
IRAS ID
325925
Contact name
John Martin Gibson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
IQVIA
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Obesity is a complicated disease involving multiple factors which is growing in prevalence globally. Overweight and obese are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to a person’s health.
In general, obesity and increased central fat disposition (the buildup of fat in the stomach area) are associated with increased medical complications and death.
There are many diseases and medical complications of obesity, and evidence suggests that weight loss can give some medical benefits for some patients. Among the well-known diseases linked with obesity are type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular disease (CVD), sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis, and some cancers. People with obesity and central fat distribution also have an increased risk of T2D, hypertension, and metabolic abnormalities such as hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia.
Treating Obesity is difficult as it’s not always considered as a chronic (ongoing) disease. Even though some countries have national or regional programs for screening of obesity and weight loss programs in adults, obesity management in practice is commonly based on patients and doctors’ decisions. The British National Institute for Health Excellence (NICE) guideline of obesity identification and management (2014), recommends many interventions, which include behavior change to increase patients’ physical activities, improved eating behavior and the quality of patient’s diets. Medications are only recommended in people who have not reached their target weight or reached a plateau after dieting, exercise and behavior support. Bariatric surgeries are recommended in individuals with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 or BMI 35-40 kg/m2 if patients have other diseases and medical complications e.g., T2D or high blood pressure.
Because obesity is not always recognised as a chronic disease, or seen as a priority by some clinicians, improved weight management holds the potential to benefit patients, healthcare professionals and society overall, particularly as weight loss can result in a reduction in other diseases and complications. Real-world evidence on obesity treatment pathways and resource use is therefore of growing importance for healthcare decision making across countries. This study aims to generate real-world evidence on country-specific patient pathways and associated healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) as patients move through the healthcare system for obesity management.REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0165
Date of REC Opinion
1 Mar 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion