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Primary care support may increase weight loss in obese patients
Patients who perceived their primary care physicians as helpful during weight loss interventions were found to achieve greater weight loss, according to recently published data.
Wendy L. Bennett, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine in the departments of medicine and general medicine, and of the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and colleagues, evaluated data from the POWER trial, a 2-year practice-based behavioral weight loss intervention, to assess the correlation between patient-provider relationship quality or satisfaction and weight loss. Patients (n = 347) had a mean age of 54.8 years and a mean BMI of 36.3 kg/m2.
Results demonstrated that patients who rated their PCPs higher in terms of helpfulness during the study period achieved greater weight loss than those who rated their physicians as less helpful (P = .005), according to a press release.
The researchers noted that no correlation between patient-provider relationship quality and weight loss was seen.
Finding ways for PCPs to be more involved during weight loss interventions may improve both patient satisfaction and weight loss success, according to the researchers.
“Our results show the high value of partnering with PCPs and their practices to develop innovative models to deliver weight loss programs. …These results may indicate patients’ desire to have [primary care providers] involved in their weight loss efforts, both directly and indirectly, through their supervision in multidisciplinary programs with health coaches, nutritionists or even in commercial weight loss programs,” Bennett and colleagues wrote. – by Casey Hower
Disclosures: Bennett reports receiving a career development award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.