Developing weight navigation program to support personalized and effective obesity management in primary care...

Area of Science:

• Obesity Medicine
• Primary Care
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Primary care providers (PCPs) face challenges in obesity management due to knowledge gaps and time constraints.
• Obesity medicine-certified physicians offer specialized expertise but their integration into primary care is not well-understood.
• Effective strategies are needed to leverage obesity specialists to support PCPs and patients with obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot test the Weight Navigation Program (WNP), an innovative model integrating obesity medicine specialists into primary care.
• To enhance the delivery of personalized and effective obesity care within primary care settings.
• To assess the feasibility and potential impact of this integrated care model.

Main Methods:

• A 12-month quality improvement pilot study comparing WNP patients to a matched cohort.
• Referral of patients with obesity and comorbidities to the WNP by PCPs.
• Inclusion of a remote weight monitoring pilot with surveys, interviews, and EHR-based text messaging for a subset of patients.

Main Results:

• The WNP integrates ABOM-certified physicians, health system resources, and EHR tools for comprehensive obesity care.
• The program aims to provide evidence-based, personalized, and longitudinal care for patients with obesity.
• Pilot data will inform the potential for broader implementation and scalability.

Conclusions:

• The Weight Navigation Program (WNP) offers an innovative model for integrating specialized obesity care into primary care settings.
• This model leverages expertise and resources to improve obesity management for patients.
• The WNP has the potential for successful implementation, scaling, and sustainability in diverse primary care environments.