mHealth Strategy for Adult Primary Care Weight Management
Loading...
Authors
Kehrley, Angela
Issue Date
2022-04
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Research Subject Categories::INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS::Caring sciences::Nursing , Telemedicine , Obesity Management , Quality Improvement , Primary Health Care , Chronic Care Model , Obesity
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
Obesity contributes to higher healthcare costs and risk for disease. Obesity management is labor and resource intensive in the primary care setting, requiring patient education, reeducation, and frequent clinician assessment for comorbidities. Mobile health (mHealth) applications allow behavioral modification, though evidence suggests few applications (apps) on e-commerce platforms are grounded in theory or sustainable lifestyle change. Smartphone technologies are widely available, accepted by the public, and can encourage equitable care delivery. This quality improvement (QI) project created an online system for primary care providers (PCP) to offer adult females seeking clinically assisted weight management at a women's primary care clinic. The PCP performed the initial patient evaluation for weight management and offered the system's brochure with detailed instructions for viewing the system's quick response codes (QR codes) linked to online materials via a personal smartphone or tablet. A post-intervention questionnaire was thematically coded and assessed by context analysis to determine the impacts of a mHealth program on streamlining care delivery. The program had modest utilization but was received favorably by the provider, staff, and patients.