Methodology
To inform the development of this disease-specific reference case extension for obesity, the following activities were conducted:
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a pragmatic review of recent health economic modelling approaches used in the evaluation of obesity interventions, drawing on NICE guidance, publications from other health technology assessment agencies and academic literature (see appendix B)
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consideration of the epidemiological data on the prevalence of obesity-related comorbidities to support decisions on which conditions should be included in economic models and how they should be represented.
In addition, NICE convened a series of virtual engagement workshops to explore key methodological issues and preferred modelling approaches. Each workshop targeted a specific stakeholder group to ensure a broad range of perspectives:
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first workshop engaged clinical experts and patient organisations to understand clinical pathways and patient priorities
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second workshop focused on health economic modellers, discussing technical modelling challenges and potential solutions
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third workshop brought together industry stakeholders to explore the implications of modelling choices on innovation and market access
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fourth workshop was held with commissioners to gain their perspective on the reference case extension.
Insights from these workshops, along with feedback from a wider stakeholder consultation, informed the statements in this report. A detailed overview of the workshops is provided in appendix A.