Personalized Health Planning--Shared Medical Appointments for Obesity

There will be 14 total participants in this study. All will be current patients enrolled at the Methodist Charlton Family Medicine Clinic in Dallas, TX. Female and male patients will be selected based on individual provider recommendations within the Family Medicine Clinic at Methodist Charlton Medical Center (Dallas, TX).

Obesity affects a large portion of our population and accounts for a significant individual health burden for both individual patients and society. Though as little as 3 to 5% weight loss is associated with significant clinical benefits,1,2 current approaches to treat patients with obesity are not providing patients with the interventions needed to routinely see this change. One potential solution to this problem is utilizing personalized health planning (PHP) shared medical appointments (SMAs) to address the treatment of obesity. As PHP SMA has shown to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction when compared to traditional care in other chronic illnesses,3,4 it could also be useful as a strategy to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of treating patients with obesity. PHP tailors health care to the needs, values, and preferences of the individual patient. It facilitates the use of the best available resources for proactive, predictive medicine while recognizing the value of engaging patients in their care. Its clinical workflow allows for creation of a personal health plan for each patient in which shared patient-provider goals are outlined to address the patient's proximate and long-term health goals and risks.

The PHP model is flexible and adaptable to many clinical needs and settings. In the program described here, PHP is adapted for use within a SMA for individuals with obesity. SMAs are conducted in 90-minute group visits, wherein 8 to 12 patients meet together with a small clinical team that always includes a provider.