Table 1. CP and SC group costs and sources.
| Resource | Unit cost (local currency) | Unit cost (USD) | Average number of visits over 12 months | 12-month cost (USD) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CP | |||||
| WW attendance | |||||
| Australia | $59.95 AUD per month | $60.55 | 33.0 | $726.60 | www.weightwatchers.com.au |
| United Kingdom | £12.95 GBP per 1st month then £19.99 per month | $21.24/1st month then $32.78 | 36.4 | $381.86 | www.weightwatchers.co.uk |
| Germany | €39 EUR per month | $55.38 | 23.1 | $664.56 | www.weightwatchers.de |
| Primary-care referral | |||||
| Australia | $34.90 per participant | $35.25 | 1.0 | $35.25 | MBS9—Item 23 |
| United Kingdom | £36 per participant | $59.04 | 1.0 | $59.04 | PSSRU10 |
| Germany | €19.17 per participanta | $27.22 | 1.0 | $27.22 | Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung11 |
| Medication | |||||
| Australia (Figure 1) | $445.70 for 12 months | $450.16 | $450.16 | PBS12 | |
| Patient travel | |||||
| Australia | $12.60 per round trip | $12.73 | 36.4 | $419.96 | ATO13 |
| United Kingdom | £5.00 per round trip | $8.20 | 36.4 | $298.48 | PSSRU,10 HMRC14, 15, 16 |
| Germany | €6.00 per round trip | $8.52 | 23.1 | $196.81 | |
| SC | |||||
| General Practitioner consult | |||||
| Australia | $34.90 | $35.25 | 10.7 | $377.16 | MBS9—Item 23 |
| United Kingdom (Nurse) | £12 | $19.68 | 13.3 | $261.74 | PSSRU10 |
| Germany | €19.17a | $27.22 | 11.3 | $307.60 | Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung11 |
| Dietetic/psychology consult | |||||
| Australia | $59.90 | $60.50 | 0.066 | $3.99 | MBS9—Items 10 954/10968 |
| United Kingdom | £57.5 | $94.30 | 0.066 | $6.22 | PSSRU10 |
| Germany | €60 | $85.20 | 0.066 | $5.62 | Schulungs-Gemeinschaft München Ost e.V17 |
| Medication | |||||
| Australia (Figure 1) | $500.60 for 12 months | $505.61 | $505.61 | PBS12 | |
| Patient travel | |||||
| Australia | $12.60 per round trip | $12.73 | 10.7 | $137.01 | ATO13 |
| United Kingdom | £5.00 per round trip | $8.20 | 13.3 | $109.60 | PSSRU,10 HMRC14, 15, 16 |
| Germany | €6.00 per round trip | $8.52 | 11.3 | $96.84 | |
Abbreviations: ABS, Australian Bureau of Statistics; ATO, Australian Taxation Office; AUD, Australian dollar; CP, commercial provider; EUR, Euro; GBP, Great Britain pound; MBS, Medicare Benefits Schedule; ONS, Office for National Statistics; PBS, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme; PSSRU UK, Personal Social Services Research Unit; SC, standard care. At the time of writing (early 2011), 1 AUD was 1.01 USD; 1 GBP was 1.64 USD; 1 EUR was 1.42 USD according to XE currency exchange (http://www.xe.com).
a
For Germany, a general GP visit was calculated as GPs are not able to charge a fee for weight-loss advice.