Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Conference 2026

Health Utility and Quality-Adjusted Life Year Gains Following an Allied Health-Led Tertiary Obesity Service: A 12-Month Prospective Evaluation  (#109)

Caitlin Merz 1 2 , Rezwanul Haque 3 , Syed A Keramat 4 , Andrea Cawte 1 5 , Rachel Williams 5 , Gemma Woodruff 1 2 , William Beningfield 1 6 , Helen d'emden 1 5 , Scott Ruddell 1 7 , Matthew Seymour 1 8 , Keren Singh 1 , Abby Yu 1 2 , Robin Hay 1 5 , Helen MacLaughlin 1 5 9
  1. Tertiary Obesity Multidisciplinary Service, Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. Pharmacy Department, Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  3. Medical School (Rural Clinical School), Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland; , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  4. Centre for Health Policy, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  5. Nutrition Research Collaborative, Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  6. Physiotherapy Department, Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  7. Psychology Department, Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  8. Endocrinology Department , Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  9. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD , Australia

Obesity is associated with substantial impairment in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), yet evidence on health utility and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) outcomes from allied health-led multidisciplinary obesity treatment services remains limited. This study evaluated HRQoL, health utility, and QALY accrual over 12 months among participants enrolled in the Tertiary Obesity Management Service (TOMS) at a major tertiary referral centre in Queensland, Australia. 

This prospective pre-post study included 80 adults with complex obesity. Health utility was measured using the EQ-5D-5L at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months, with utility scores derived using the Australian value set. QALYs were calculated using the area-under-the-curve method. Changes in utility from baseline were assessed using paired t-tests, and mixed-effects regression models were used to identify predictors of utility over time. 

Mean baseline utility was 0.775 (95% CI: 0.722, 0.827). Statistically significant improvements were observed at 3 months (mean change 0.044; p = 0.006), 6 months (0.055; p = 0.004), and 12 months (0.049; p = 0.006). The proportion of participants reporting no problems improved markedly across usual activities (37.5% to 61.3%), mobility (41.3% to 57.5%), and anxiety/depression (33.8% to 51.3%). Cumulative QALYs accrued were 0.199 (95% CI: 0.187, 0.211) at 3 months, 0.405 (0.381, 0.429) at 6 months, and 0.819 (0.771, 0.866) at 12 months. In the parsimonious mixed-effects model, time was the only significant predictor of utility improvement. 

TOMS produced clinically meaningful and sustained improvements in HRQoL and substantial QALY accrual over 12 months. These findings support the value of allied health-led multidisciplinary obesity management in tertiary care settings and provide foundational evidence for future cost-effectiveness analyses.