Establishing An Obesity Management Programme İn Primary Care

Didem Kafadar

Keywords: obesity, primary care, teamwork

Background:
Obesity and associated diseases are among the frequent causes of mortality and morbidity around the globe. Obesity management involves procedures applied to patients to restore the physical, social, psychological and functional well-being by weight management and healthy life-style habits. Presence of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, gastrointestinal diseases, hepatosteatosis, social phobia, depression, sleep problems, musculoskeletal problems as well as being prone to some cancers are problems which patients with obesity may experience. Obesity is a cumulative disease of multimorbidities rather than excess weight, so a multidisciplinary care team is needed. The main purpose is to increase the quality of life of the person and to maintain health.

Research questions:
What is the attitude of primary care physicans towards obesity and which measures do they take?
What are the main steps in establishing an obesity management program in primary care?
When will the consultants be involved?

Method:
A questionnaire will be conducted with family physicians concerning their attitudes, knowledge and suggestions to establish a standard obesity management programme. A collaborative team of family physicans and other healthcare professionals in primary care will be built and courses on theoretical and practical issues will be prepared. A pilot programme consisting of different stages of treatment such as patient education, diet and exercise programs with motivational interviews, thorough examinations and laboratory testings and consultations will be proposed.

Results:
It is a project proposal.

Conclusions:
Launching a pilot programme will be the aim of this project. An individual approach and continous and comprehensive care concerning the needs of these patients may be offered by family physicians.

Points for discussion:
How can we increase collaboration with the other team members-dieticians, physiotherapists, psychologists, nurses, consultants?

How can we establish the sustainability of the program in primary care conditions?

How can we increase motivation in both healthcare team and patients?