An evaluation to understand the monetary value and costs of the CVD Prevention Decathlon programme for patients and the wider system.

Context

Obesity can lead to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is directly linked to type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The CVD Prevention Decathlon is a 10-week education and physical activity programme aimed at individuals who are at risk of developing CVD. The Health Innovation Network led on an evaluation of the CVD Prevention Decathlon programme. Unity Insights were commissioned by Health Innovation Network South London to complete a cost-benefit analysis to understand the monetary value and costs of the CVD Prevention Decathlon programme for patients and the wider system.

Findings:

On average, patients with raised levels of each metric examined lowered their:

• BMI by 0.95 (n = 154)
• Systolic blood pressure by 15.33mmHg (n = 12)
• Diastolic blood pressure by 13.92mmHg (n = 12)
• Total cholesterol levels by 0.91mmol/L (n = 48)
• HbA1c levels by 0.43mmol/mol (n = 14)
• QRISK score by 0.11 (n = 114)

The cost-benefit analysis identified a negative return on investment both including and excluding quality-adjusted life years when implementing the CVD Prevention Decathlon programme over 10 years at a high level of adherence (81% adhered after 10 years):

Conclusion:

The CVD Prevention Decathlon programme resulted in improved patient outcomes, and therefore a reduction in NHS treatment costs and mortality rates for type 2 diabetes and CVD. When factoring in costs associated with the programme, however, this resulted in a negative return on investment. Finding ways to improve the value, such as lowering the costs associated with the programme, is essential for future scale-up and sustainability.