Active not recruitingNAINTERVENTIONAL

Impact of an Integrated Obesity Management System on Patient's Care

This study explores how a training programme for family doctors and their teams can improve their ability to help patients with obesity. Doctors and nurses received a two-day training course and ongoing online support from obesity experts. The main goals are to see if this training helps patients with obesity, who also have conditions like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, to manage their weight better. It also aims to improve how doctors spot and start managing obesity in all their patients. The hope is that better-trained primary care teams will lead to better care and improved health results for people living with obesity.

At a glance

Status

Active not recruiting

Phase

Sponsor

Université de Sherbrooke

Enrolment target

460

Start

01 Nov 2009

Estimated completion

01 Dec 2025

Obesity

What is this study about?

This study is looking at a new way to help doctors and their teams in GP practices better support patients who are living with obesity. The idea behind it is that if doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff have more training and ongoing support in understanding and managing obesity, they will be better equipped to help their patients.

The programme involved giving these healthcare teams a special two-day training session. After this, they also had access to an online community where they could get continuous advice and help from experts in obesity. The researchers have already seen that this training made the teams feel more confident and positive about helping patients with obesity, and they also noticed improvements in how they practiced, even a year later.

Now, the researchers want to see if this approach actually helps patients. They are hoping it will lead to better weight management and even weight loss for patients who have obesity along with other health issues like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or problems with their blood sugar. They also hope it will help doctors in general to spot obesity earlier and start helping patients sooner.

Key takeaways

The study aims to improve how GP teams help patients with obesity.
It involves special training and ongoing online support for doctors and nurses.
The goal is to help patients manage weight and related conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.
This could lead to better overall health for people with obesity.
Patients whose GP practice is involved will continue to receive their usual care.

Who may be eligible?

To be part of this study, you would need to have visited your GP practice a few times in the last two years for certain health conditions. This helps the researchers understand your typical health situation.

However, there are reasons why someone might not be able to join. For example, if you have current mental health problems or psychiatric disorders, or if you've had cancer in the last five years. Also, if you've recently had a change in your medication within the last six months, you wouldn't be able to take part.

The study is open to both men and women, aged 18 and over. There is no upper age limit.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years old or older?
Have you visited your GP practice at least four times in the last two years for certain health conditions?
Do you currently have any active mental health problems or psychiatric disorders?
Have you had cancer in the last five years?
Have any of your medications changed in the last six months?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

This study is focused on the training of healthcare professionals rather than direct patient involvement in an intervention. Therefore, as a patient, your participation wouldn't involve specific visits, assessments, medication changes, or follow-ups directly related to this study's intervention. Instead, if you are a patient of a GP practice taking part, your medical records related to obesity and associated conditions like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes would be looked at by the research team. This would be done to see if the training given to your practice team has led to any changes in your care or health outcomes over time. You would continue to receive your usual care from your GP practice, and the researchers would not be directly involved in your treatment.

Potential risks and benefits

The main benefit of this study could be that if the training programme is successful, your GP practice team might become even better at helping people manage their weight and related health conditions. This could lead to improved health and well-being for patients in the future. As the study focuses on the training of healthcare teams and uses existing patient information (with proper privacy safeguards), there are no direct risks to patients taking part. You would continue to receive your standard care, and at any point, your GP practice could decide not to continue participating in the programme.

Locations (1)

Université de Sherbrooke
Verified postcode
Sherbrooke, Canada

Common questions

What is obesity management?

Obesity management involves different ways to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight. This can include advice on diet and exercise, and sometimes medication or surgery, all with support from healthcare professionals.

Why is this study important for people with high blood pressure or diabetes?

Better management of obesity can often lead to improvements in other health conditions like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. This study hopes that better-trained doctors can help patients manage all these conditions more effectively.

Will I have to do anything differently if my GP practice is in the study?

No, you won't need to do anything differently. You will continue to receive your usual medical care from your GP practice. The study is about training the staff, not directly changing your treatment.

Who are the 'investigators' mentioned in the study details?

The 'investigators' are the researchers and medical professionals who designed and are running this study. They are the ones looking into how best to improve obesity care.

What does 'preceptorship' mean?

A 'preceptorship' in this context means a period of focused teaching and guidance. Here, it refers to the two-day training course given to doctors and their teams by experts in obesity.