Promoting Weight Loss Using a Smart Phone Application in Rural Primary Care

Abstract

Problem: Primary care providers have been challenged by national guidelines to be on the front lines of addressing the obesity epidemic. This is a challenging task due to the lack of effective tools for monitoring patient dietary intake and physical activity. Approximately 29% of adults in Northern Maryland are clinically obese, with a clear health disparity existing in the northernmost communities. Forty one percent of the patients served by a small non-profit community health clinic located in the northern region of Northern Maryland are obese. Purpose: The purpose of this QI project is to integrate a referral process for the use of the Lose It! Weight loss smart phone application for patients with obesity served by the clinic. Methods: Patients with obesity will be identified and presented with education regarding the use of Lose-It app. The application is used as a tool for self-monitoring dietary intake and physical activity. The app assists the user in creating a customized weight loss and daily calorie goal and encourages the user to record daily physical activity, daily caloric intake, and weekly weight. Patient BMI, weight and blood pressure will be measured and recorded at baseline and then weekly for a 15-week period. Results: The referral process was slow to gain traction early in the process, by the fourth week almost 50% percent of patients with obesity were identified and referred. For the remaining eleven weeks, coinciding dips and increases exist among referrals, weight loss, and blood pressure run charts that indicate points of reengagement of staff and patients by the QI-PL. Conclusions: Findings of this project suggest that implementation of the Lose-It! Smart application for patients with obesity has potential to be a useful tool in promoting weight loss and decreasing blood pressure when patients are referred in the primary care setting. Long term follow up is necessary to track patient adherence and weight loss achieved using the application.