Integrative and Collaborative Approach in the Chronic Management of Obesity in Primary and Tertiary Care Setting: Vall Hebron-SAP Muntanya Healthcare Route

Abstract

Introduction: In the context of obesity pandemic, the health care providers involved in the primary care should have a significant role. Several guidelines for the management of obesity in primary care were proposed recently. In general lines, these guidelines include recommendation on the baseline assessment, therapy, and algorithm for referral to specialized obesity clinic and follow-up. Nevertheless, at present, there is no guideline or protocol that continuously and bidirectionally links the two settings: primary care and specialized obesity clinic.

Methods: We present a model of continuous, bilateral, and integrative interaction between primary care units and reference tertiary care setting in the chronic management of obesity that is already implemented in a public health system.

Results: The novelty of our algorithm is that incorporates the support and continuous communication with the specialized obesity clinic of the tertiary care setting from the beginning in the management of a patient with obesity, in a bidirectional manner.

Conclusion: This kind of bidirectional and continuous collaboration will help engage health care providers in the management of obesity, optimize efforts, shorten the time until proper intervention, personalize the approach and, finally, save costs for the health system.

Keywords: Integrative approach; Obesity; Primary care; Specialized obesity clinic.