Weight Loss Communication and Treatment in Primary Care

Author

Courtney Russell, Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleFollow
Sarah Puckett, Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleFollow
Jessica McRill, Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-5-2023

Document Type

DNP Project

Project Team Faculty Member

Angela Andrews

Project Team Faculty Member

Annie Imboden

Keywords

Obesity, weight management, primary care, screening tools, motivational interviewing, adult population

Abstract

Obesity is undertreated in the primary care setting as a single medical condition. Obese patients are higher risk for comorbid conditions including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and stroke. There is no universal screening tool implemented in the primary care setting for obesity management. An extensive literature review was completed to identify barriers in the primary care settings for providers to treat obesity as a disease state, assess current practices for weight management in these settings, and to identify health behaviors of adult patients with obesity. This project implemented the Five A’s Communication Tool to identify patients willing to discuss weight management during their wellness exams and to guide providers’ conversations based on patient health behaviors. A sample size of 30 patients were surveyed, of which 86% of patients answered ‘yes’ to discuss weight management during their exam, regardless of BMI, and 56% of patients answered 'yes’ to receiving additional resources regarding weight management for their specific medical comorbidities. Providers preferred patients complete the survey prior to starting the exam to avoid discussing weight management with those patients who did not want their weight addressed. Identified limitations included a lack of patient population diversity, small sample size, and timing of project implementation. This project was trialed to improve the provider-patient conversation surrounding weight management and improving patient overall health in the primary care setting. The Five A’s Communication Tool was proven beneficial by providers to help discuss weight management during annual exams in the primary care setting.

Recommended Citation

Russell, Courtney; Puckett, Sarah; and McRill, Jessica, "Weight Loss Communication and Treatment in Primary Care" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 241.
https://spark.siue.edu/dnpprojects/241

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