TY - JOUR
T1 - Standardised baseline data collections in obesity management services in Australia : recommendations from an expert panel
AU - Ramachandran, Divya
AU - Atlantis, Evan
AU - Hocking, Samantha
AU - Markovic, Tania
AU - Gill, Timothy
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Background: Specialist obesity management services that provide care bymulti-disciplinary teams incorporating behavioural weight loss management programs, treatment with pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery are an important, but currently limited, component of comprehensive obesity care in Australia [1]. At present, there is little collaboration or co-ordination across services that differ in composition and service provision. To address this issue, we aimed to develop an expert consensus on standardising data collection in specialist obesity services. Methods: A panel of sixteen experts recruited from obesity management services in Australia participated in a structured consensus-driven Delphi process [2] to develop an agreed set of data that should be collected from patients during their initial attendance at specialist obesity services. The panel included surgeons, clinicians, allied health professionals (dietitian, exercise physiologist, psychologist), a bariatric nurse, and obesity researchers. We chose a 70% threshold to define attainment of consensus for data items to be included in the final baseline dataset. Results: We produced a recommended list of core and useful data items that should comprise the initial patient dataset within obesity management services. Consensus was achieved for recommended measures of demographic, anthropometric, weight loss history, biochemical measures, medication, medical history and comorbidity data items and included consideration of data items specific to surgical patients. Measures of diet and physical activity were considered core but the best instruments for capturing such data could not be resolved in this study. Conclusion: We present the first expert panel consensus on recommendations for standardised baseline patient data collection in obesity management services in Australia. Standardising data collections will minimise variation in clinical assessment and facilitate data pooling for clinical audit, health service planning, as well as future research activities.
AB - Background: Specialist obesity management services that provide care bymulti-disciplinary teams incorporating behavioural weight loss management programs, treatment with pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery are an important, but currently limited, component of comprehensive obesity care in Australia [1]. At present, there is little collaboration or co-ordination across services that differ in composition and service provision. To address this issue, we aimed to develop an expert consensus on standardising data collection in specialist obesity services. Methods: A panel of sixteen experts recruited from obesity management services in Australia participated in a structured consensus-driven Delphi process [2] to develop an agreed set of data that should be collected from patients during their initial attendance at specialist obesity services. The panel included surgeons, clinicians, allied health professionals (dietitian, exercise physiologist, psychologist), a bariatric nurse, and obesity researchers. We chose a 70% threshold to define attainment of consensus for data items to be included in the final baseline dataset. Results: We produced a recommended list of core and useful data items that should comprise the initial patient dataset within obesity management services. Consensus was achieved for recommended measures of demographic, anthropometric, weight loss history, biochemical measures, medication, medical history and comorbidity data items and included consideration of data items specific to surgical patients. Measures of diet and physical activity were considered core but the best instruments for capturing such data could not be resolved in this study. Conclusion: We present the first expert panel consensus on recommendations for standardised baseline patient data collection in obesity management services in Australia. Standardising data collections will minimise variation in clinical assessment and facilitate data pooling for clinical audit, health service planning, as well as future research activities.
KW - management
KW - obesity
KW - weight loss
UR - https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:59116
U2 - 10.1016/j.orcp.2018.11.089
DO - 10.1016/j.orcp.2018.11.089
M3 - Article
SN - 1871-403X
VL - 13
SP - 266
EP - 267
JO - Obesity Research and Clinical Practice
JF - Obesity Research and Clinical Practice
IS - 3
ER -
