Improvement in Provider and Patient Self-Efficacy in Weight Loss in Primary Care

Significance: Recently, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved the coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity in the primary care setting. However there are little data to support the potential effectiveness of this type of treatment. There is a need to determine the most effective way to deliver obesity treatment in a primary care setting. Objective: To improve physician self-efficacy in the delivery of obesity care and to improve patient outcomes through a pilot intervention including physician training and office support for obesity care. Hypothesis 1: Physician training and office support will improve physician self-efficacy with provision of obesity care and increase the likelihood of physicians providing obesity care to their patients, compared to physicians receiving training alone or usual care. Hypothesis 2: Physician training and office support will increase patient self-efficacy with weight loss and will increase patient weight loss, compared to patients of physicians receiving training alone or usual care.