Running a successful weight management clinic

A few key tips on what differentiates a successful weight management clinic:

 

  • Protected time for all involved to run the clinic
  • GP & HCP understanding of and commitment to the care pathway, how pharmacotherapy is to be used
  • Agreed strategy for who intervenes with the patient and how support is maintained
  • Screening and patient selection
  • GPs pivotal role in motivating and influencing patients
  • Goals set for patient recruitment, with targets to reach
  • Specific criteria set for how recruitment will occur
  • Do not limit service only to those with long term, malignant obesity but a recruit mixture of patients - the success of the clinic is significantly increased with progressive patient weight loss.
  • Weight management seen as a priority to the whole practice
  • Regular review of the progress, check if targets are being met
  • Audit cycle- what could be improved or built upon? What could be done differently?
  • Sharing best practice with other health care professionals
  • Engaging the PCT and patient focus groups
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