Implementation of a primary care physician network obesity management program

Area of Science:

• Obesity Medicine
• Primary Care
• Telehealth Interventions

Background:

• Obesity management is often neglected in primary care due to time, resource, and knowledge barriers.
• Effective interventions are needed to integrate obesity treatment into routine primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a brief, physician-directed obesity intervention combined with remote dietitian counseling.
• To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of this model in a primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• A 10-minute physician intervention was paired with telephone-based dietary counseling by a registered dietitian.
• Patients received follow-up care from their physician over 52 weeks.
• Meal replacements were offered as a dietary option.

Main Results:

• 252 patients with comorbid conditions were enrolled.
• Two-thirds of patients opted for meal replacements.
• At 6 months, women lost an average of 19.0 lb and men lost 15.5 lb.

Conclusions:

• A brief, physician-led obesity program with telehealth nutritionist support is feasible in primary care.
• This integrated approach can lead to significant patient weight loss.
• Physician satisfaction with the program was high, indicating potential for wider adoption.