The Edmonton Obesity Staging System Clinical Support Tool: A Structured EOSS-Domain-Based Tool for Primary Care

Area of Science:

• Obesity research
• Clinical assessment tools
• Public health

Background:

• Body mass index (BMI) is a common but imprecise measure for diagnosing obesity and assessing health.
• The Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) provides a more accurate mortality prediction by evaluating medical, mental, and functional complications associated with elevated BMI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a straightforward clinical support tool for the structured assessment of Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) domains in everyday clinical practice.
• To enhance the practical application of EOSS in managing obesity-related health issues.

Main Methods:

• An iterative Delphi process involving obesity-care experts was used to create the EOSS-based clinical support tool.
• The development included pilot testing with patients and general practitioners, test-retest reliability assessment, and a final consensus meeting.
• The final instrument comprises 48 items across six domains: personal information, medical history, lifestyle, weight-reduction measures, psychosocial burden, and functional limitations.

Main Results:

• Pilot testing demonstrated good feasibility and clarity of the developed tool.
• Test-retest reliability assessment confirmed good temporal stability, with revisions made to low-reliability items.
• The tool is designed for structured data collection on obesity's medical, functional, and psychosocial aspects.

Conclusions:

• The developed clinical support tool facilitates structured assessment of EOSS domains in routine practice.
• Further research is required to validate the tool's effectiveness, feasibility, and implementation across various primary care settings.
• This tool aims to improve the comprehensive evaluation of patients with obesity.