Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34864937›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of public health2022

Cost-effectiveness of exercise referral schemes: a systematic review of health economic studies.

Amber Werbrouck, Masja Schmidt, Koen Putman, Jan Seghers, Steven Simoens, Nick Verhaeghe, Lieven Annemans

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Cost-Effectiveness of Strategies Addressing Environmental Noise: A Systematic Literature Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Amber WerbrouckInteruniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0003-3854-7717
Masja SchmidtInteruniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
Koen PutmanInteruniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Laarbeeklaan 103, 1090 Brussels, Belgium.
Jan SeghersDepartment of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101 box 1500, Leuven 3001, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0002-2930-1259
Steven SimoensDepartment of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, O&N2 Bus 521, Leuven 3000, Belgium.
Nick VerhaegheInteruniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Lieven AnnemansInteruniversity Centre for Health Economics Research (I-CHER), Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis systematic review aimed to provide an overview of the existing literature on cost-effectiveness of exercise referral schemes (ERSs).

methodsA systematic search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, EconLit, Web of Science and PsycINFO. Main inclusion criteria were: (1) insufficiently active people; (2) ERSs and (3) full health economic evaluations. No publication year limits were applied. The methodological quality was assessed independently by two reviewers using the Consensus Health Economic Criteria (CHEC) checklist.

resultsFifteen eligible publications were retrieved, presenting results of 12 different studies. Compared with usual care, ERSs were found to be cost-effective in a majority of the analyses, but with modest health gains and costs per individual. These cost-effectiveness results were also sensitive to small changes in input parameters. Two studies found that ERSs combined with a pedometer/accelerometer are cost-effective, compared with usual ERS practice. Two other studies found that an ERS with phone support and an ERS with face-to-face support might be equally effective, with similar costs.

conclusionAlthough the literature demonstrated that ERSs could be cost-effective compared with usual care, these results were not robust. Based on a small number of studies, ERSs could be optimized by using tracking devices, or by providing a choice to the participants about the delivery mode. There is need for clarity on the effectiveness of and attendance to ERS, as more certainty about these key input parameters will strengthen health-economic evidence, and thus will allow to provide a clearer message to health policy-makers.

Indexed as

ExerciseReferral and ConsultationCost-Benefit AnalysisHumans

Identifiers

PMID34864937
PMCPMC9090165

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.