Computer-Based Weight Maintenance in Primary Care

Summary

This randomized trial tested the hypothesis that there would be an incremental benefit of personalized coaching and PCP support in an EHR-based intervention designed to help primary care patients maintain recent intentional weight loss of at least 5%.

Conditions

• Body Weight
• Weight Loss
• Motor Activity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

24 months of personalized coaching through the EHR patient portal, with 24 scheduled contacts.

Participants were assigned to a specific coach, who contacted the participants via the EHR weekly for 1 month, biweekly in months 2 to 6, monthly in months 7 to 12, and quarterly in months 13 to 24, for a total of 24 scheduled contacts. Coaching group participants received brief questionnaires relevant to weight management, including a text field where they could discuss questions or barriers. On the basis of participant responses and self-monitoring data in the EHR flow sheets, coaches wrote a brief personalized note with advice on questionnaire topics and responses to any queries or barriers mentioned by the participant. Coaching participants who did not complete questionnaires or log information into the flow sheet for 2 weeks were considered inactive and were contacted by telephone or e-mail and invited to reengage at any time. Coaching participants were able to send secure messages to the coach.

BEHAVIORAL

Online self-monitoring

Participants were encouraged to log in daily and enter data on weight, diet, and physical activity.

BEHAVIORAL

Real-time updates to Primary Care physicians

Referring PCPs of coaching group participants received regular support, including real-time progress reports with counseling tips delivered via the EHR, notification of weight change in increments of at least 10 pounds, and annual progress reports at 12 and 24 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

  collaborator FED

• University of Pittsburgh

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kathleen M McTigue, MD, MPH, MS · University of Pittsburgh

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-10-01

Primary Completion

2017-03-02

Completion

2017-09-05

Countries

• United States

Study Locations