Evaluation of Patient Coach Support for Older Adults With Obesity

Summary

The purpose of the present pilot is to evaluate the outcomes of adding a patient coach to support the Optimal Health Weight and Lifestyle (OHWL) Clinic plan developed by PI Dewar, specifically to address barriers and facilitators of adherence to the plan. This will be accomplished via a coach who is not embedded in clinic care and is supported by pilot research funds. Evaluation of the coach activities, conducted by research personnel, will include compiling data from the electronic health record, a short set of patient report and performance measures, and qualitative interviews.

Conditions

• Obesity

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

OHWL Clinic Activities (Standard of Care)

Following a directed history and physical at the initial visit, the OHWL Care provider (OCP) develops a medical and weight management plan, which includes laboratory testing (such as for Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), consultant referrals (e.g. sleep, heart failure clinics) and referral to nutritionists and physical therapy (PT). The OCP begins the process of establishing patient goals, which will be followed up by the coach. The OCP reviews patient progress with the goals during face-to-face visits (some by telehealth) at two, four and six months. As part of the standard initial clinic evaluation, a medical assistant evaluates grip strength (using a hand dynamometer) the timed up and go mobility test; these are repeated at the 6-month visit.

BEHAVIORAL

Coach Activities

A patient coach follows patients outside of clinic to ensure adherence with referral appointments and use of recommended community services. The coach assesses the participant at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months using the Patient-Specific Functional Scale and follows up with patients via phone over 6 months. The coach utilizes S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals to facilitate, for example, transportation, barriers to scheduling, etc. The coach follows up on specialist referral recommendations, physical therapy, and nutrition program, as well as social work recommendations. Barriers and facilitators to program adherence are identified and addressed.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Michigan

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Max Age

85 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-06-08

Primary Completion

2025-09-05

Completion

2026-03-17

Countries

• United States

Study Locations