BMC Fam Pract. June 2006;7:35 [Epub ahead of print]
Forman-Hoffman VL, Little AE, Wahls TL
Physicians in primary care are often seen as the first contact point in the treatment of obese and overweight patients. This study from a primary healthcare setting in the USA reveals some interesting findings.
The purpose of the study was to identify barriers to the effective management of obesity in VHA (Veteran Health Authority) primary care settings. Three focus groups comprising clinicians were conducted to identify potential barriers to obesity management. The focus groups and previously published studies then informed the creation of a 47-item survey that was disseminated and completed by 55 primary care clinicians.
There were three main findings:
1) Lack of obesity training during medical school was associated with lower rates of discussing diet and exercise with obese patients
2) Clinicians who watched their own diets vigorously were more likely to calculate BMI for obese patients than other clinicians (42% vs13%)
3) Many barriers identified in previous studies, for example attitudes toward obese patients and lack of insurance payments for obesity care were not prevalent barriers in the current study.
The authors concluded that many VHA clinicians do not routinely provide weight management services for obese patients. The most prevalent barriers to obesity care were poor education during medical school and the lack of information provided to both clinicians and patients about available weight management services.
