Book a Consultation
svg asset

    Menu

    Book a Consultation
    • Home
    • About Us
      • Our Team
    • Procedures
      • Gastric Sleeve Surgery
      • Mini Gastric Sleeve Surgery
      • Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery
      • RYGB Gastric Bypass Surgery
      • Stomach Intestinal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SIBS)
      • Single Anastomosis Stomach–Ileal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SASI-S)
      • Single Anastomosis Duodeno–Ileal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SADI-S)
      • Abdominoplasty
      • Revision Weight Loss Surgery
      • Weight Loss Surgery Combinations
    • Program Costs
      • Gastric Sleeve Costs
      • Mini Gastric Bypass Costs
      • Sleeve Bypass Surgery Costs
      • RYGB Gastric Bypass Costs
    • Patient Information
      • Am I A Candidate?
      • Patient Journey
      • Video Hub
      • First Visit
      • Our Care Plan
      • Patient Interviews
      • What To Expect
      • Recipes
      • Finance Options
    • News
    • Before and After Gallery
    • For Doctors
    • Contact Us
    svg asset
    • Home
    • About Us
      • Our Team
    • Procedures
      • Gastric Sleeve Surgery
      • Mini Gastric Sleeve Surgery
      • Mini Gastric Bypass Surgery
      • RYGB Gastric Bypass Surgery
      • Stomach Intestinal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SIBS)
      • Single Anastomosis Stomach–Ileal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SASI-S)
      • Single Anastomosis Duodeno–Ileal Bypass with Sleeve Gastrectomy (SADI-S)
      • Abdominoplasty
      • Revision Weight Loss Surgery
      • Weight Loss Surgery Combinations
    • Program Costs
      • Gastric Sleeve Costs
      • Mini Gastric Bypass Costs
      • Sleeve Bypass Surgery Costs
      • RYGB Gastric Bypass Costs
    • Patient Information
      • Am I A Candidate?
      • Patient Journey
      • Video Hub
      • First Visit
      • Our Care Plan
      • Patient Interviews
      • What To Expect
      • Recipes
      • Finance Options
    • News
    • Before and After Gallery
    • For Doctors
    • Contact Us
    Book a Consultation
    Australian GP’s Need Support To Manage Obesity

    Australian GP’s Need Support To Manage Obesity

    Home News Australian GP’s Need Support To Manage Obesity

    Australian GP’s need help to identify and manage obese patients

    Australian GP’s need more support to help them meet national guidelines to tackle obesity, according to research by Monash University and published in the Medical Journal of Australia. The study, “Obesity management in general practice: does current practice match guideline recommendations?” reports that GP’s are not routinely recording measures of obesity, as recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    Researchers did the study to assess the documentation of measures recommended in the NHMRC clinical guidelines for managing overweight and obesity in adults, adolescents and children in Australia.

    Data was gathered from 270,426 adult patients from the Melbourne East Monash General Practice from general practice clinics located in the inner-eastern Melbourne region between July 2011 and December 2013. The guidelines suggest that routinely documenting obesity indicators such as BMI and waist circumference, are some of the quantitative measures that support a systematic approach to preventing and managing obesity.

    Researchers discovered that only 22 percent (59,987) of patients had their BMI recorded, and just four percent (11,684) of patients had their waist circumference recorded. “The NHMRC guidelines emphasise the importance of patient engagement when it comes to managing and preventing obesity. Yet the low rates of documentation of obesity measures imply a continued need for programmes of support to increase obesity screening and documentation of related clinical information,” said study lead, Dr Lyle Turner from the Department of General Practice.

    “Primary health care is generally the first point of contact for people seeking health services. So we know it has the potential to play a crucial role in helping identify and manage patients with obesity. Yet our data shows this isn’t happening as much as it could be.” Patients aged over 75 years were more likely to have a BMI recorded, but women overall were less likely to have measures of obesity documented. Patients with diabetes, hypertension or hyperlipidaemia and those who were prescribed diabetes-related medications were more likely to have a documented BMI.

    Turner said the study identified potential hurdles GPs faced in increasing screening for obesity in general practice. “Problems in identifying obesity in the patient, difficulty discussing obesity, a perceived lack of appropriate training and clinical software restrictions, were common factors,” he said. “Primary care organisations assigning practice liaison officers to generate regular feedback on data quality and population-level health indicators, could be one way in which to tackle this, but more research is needed.”

    The next step for this research will now be to talk with GPs directly, in order to identify the current barriers to recording of BMI and waist circumference. This will then inform strategies designed to increase the recording of these important measurements.

    “By examining routine general practice data, we found that further support is needed to improve levels of screening for obesity and overweight in Australian general practice,” the study concludes. “Continued research is required to assess how documentation of obesity related clinical information changes over time as the NHMRC guidelines on managing overweight and obesity become embedded in clinical practice, and to examine barriers and enablers to increased obesity screening. To improve the quality of patient care, GPs should be supported to increase levels of obesity screening in accordance with the NHMRC.

    Reference: Medical Journal of Australia 2015; 202 (7): 370-372 doi:10.5694/mja14.00998

    Authors: Lyle R Turner, Mark F Harris and Danielle Mazza

    • svg asset

      Are you a Candidate?

    • Make an Enquiry

      Get in contact with Dr Kevin Dolan

      • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    WALOS Consulting Rooms
    Australian GP’s Need Support To Manage Obesity
    42-44 Arnisdale Road Duncraig WA 6023 Australia
    (08) 9246 2314
    42-44 Arnisdale Road Duncraig WA 6023 Australia
    Mon-Fri:
    8:00am
    -
    6:00pm
    info@drkevindolan.com.au
    Saint John of God Hospital
    Australian GP’s Need Support To Manage Obesity
    12 Salvado Road Subiaco WA 6008 Australia
    (08) 9246 2314
    12 Salvado Road Subiaco WA 6008 Australia
    Mon-Fri:
    8:00am
    -
    6:00pm
    info@drkevindolan.com.au
    Hollywood Private Hospital
    Australian GP’s Need Support To Manage Obesity
    85 Monash Ave Nedlands WA 6009 Australia
    (08) 9246 2314
    85 Monash Ave Nedlands WA 6009 Australia
    Mon-Fri:
    8:00am
    -
    6:00pm
    info@drkevindolan.com.au
    WALOS Consulting Rooms
    Saint John of God Hospital
    Hollywood Private Hospital

    Get in touch

    Contact Dr Kevin Dolan and his multidisciplinary team of physicians, dieticians, psychologists and nurses to find the best weight loss solution for you. 

    Book a Consultation
      (08) 9246 2314
      Mon-Fri:
      8:00am
      -
      6:00pm
      42-44 Arnisdale Road Duncraig
      WA 6023 Australia
      info@drkevindolan.com.au
      (08) 9246 2314
      Mon-Fri:
      8:00am
      -
      6:00pm
      12 Salvado Road Subiaco
      WA 6008 Australia
      info@drkevindolan.com.au
      (08) 9246 2314
      Mon-Fri:
      8:00am
      -
      6:00pm
      85 Monash Ave Nedlands
      WA 6009 Australia
      info@drkevindolan.com.au

      © Copyright 2022. | All Rights Reserved | surfpacific.com

       
      ×
      ×