Implementing an Educational Program for Primary Care Providers on Obesity Management and Bariatric Surgery

Clear clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for primary care providers (PCPs) are available that address the identification, evaluation, and treatment of obesity. The number of bariatric surgeries being performed is still low when compared to the number of obese Americans. This is despite guidelines, data on the efficacy and safety, and technical advances in bariatric surgery. The purpose of this project was to develop a reproducible educational program for PCPs based on CPGs for the identification, evaluation, and treatment of obesity in adults. Sixty PCPs from an existing database were electronically sent an Internet survey. The PCPs were asked to identify a list of items of importance to be included in the program. Sixteen of 60 PCPs responded to the survey. The educational program was developed based on their recommendations and pilot tested in a hospital-owned primary care practice association. Sessions were scheduled with office practice managers in 10 offices. Twenty-one of 26 providers attended the ...