Rural engagement in primary care for optimizing weight reduction (REPOWER): A mixed methods study of patient...

To report on patients' satisfaction and experience of care across three different modes of weight loss counseling.

1407 patients with obesity in the rural Midwest were enrolled to a 2-year weight management trial through their primary care practice and assigned to one of three treatment conditions: in-clinic individual, in-clinic group, phone group counseling. Patients completed surveys assessing seven domains of satisfaction and experience of care at 6 and 24-months. Post-treatment interviews were conducted to add context to survey responses.

1295 (92.0%) and 1230 (87.4%) completed surveys at 6 and 24-months, respectively. Patients in phone group counseling reported lower satisfaction than patients who received in-clinic group or in-clinic individual counseling across all domains at 6-months and five out of seven domains at 24-months. Interviews revealed that patients were more satisfied when they received face-to-face counseling and had meaningful interactions with their primary care provider (PCP) about their weight.

Rural patients with obesity have higher satisfaction and experience of care when weight loss counseling is delivered in a face-to-face environment and when their PCP is involved with their treatment.

Primary care practices looking to offer weight loss treatment should consider incorporating some level of face-to-face treatment plans that involves meaningful interaction with the PCP.