Introduction
This disease-specific reference case extension outlines standardised methods for health economic evaluations of interventions for managing overweight and obesity and reducing associated comorbidities in adults. Treatments that have multiple indications including for obesity are covered. This is to reflect that many people with obesity have 2 or more long-term health conditions.
This methods document should be used when undertaking cost-utility analyses to inform NICE guidance on overweight and obesity in adults (including guidelines, technology appraisal guidance and HealthTech evaluations). Elements of it may apply to other types of economic evaluations such as cost-comparison analyses.
Applicability of statements in this document should be decided at the scoping stage of guidance production. Adherence should be attempted while taking into account the specific decision problem under evaluation. Deviations should be highlighted at scoping stage and then explained and agreed through the committee's and NICE's quality assurance processes.
This document should also be read alongside the NICE manuals for:
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guidelines – particularly the section on the reference case for economic evaluations
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technology appraisals and highly specialised technologies – particularly the section on the reference case for economic evaluations
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HealthTech programme – particularly the section on economic evaluation.
For further details on developing and implementing disease-specific reference case extensions, including the basis for 'required' and 'recommended' statements and how these documents should be used, please refer to NICE's position statement on use of disease-specific reference models in economic evaluations and the glossary.