Efficacy of Telephone Health Coaching Integration with Standard Multidisciplinary Care for Adults with Obesity Attending a Weight Management Service: A Pilot Study

Role of telemedicine in the management of obesity: State-of-the-art review

Obesity is a worsening public health epidemic that remains challenging to manage. Obesity substantially increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and presents a significant financial burden on the healthcare system. Digital health interventions, specifically telemedicine, may offer an attractive and viable solution for managing obesity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for a safer alternative to in-person visits led to the increased popularity of telemedicine. Multiple studies have tested the efficacy of telemedicine modalities, including digital coaching via videoconferencing sessions, e-health monitoring using wearable devices, and asynchronous forms of communication such as online chatrooms with counselors. In this review, we discuss the available evidence for telemedicine interventions in managing obesity, review current challenges and barriers to using telemedicine, and outline future directions to optimize the management of patients with obesity using telemedicine.

An Evidence Based Rationale for Health and Wellness Coaching as a Complementary Certification in Undergraduate Health Education

Health and wellness coaching (HWC) is an effective intervention for many chronic lifestyle diseases. Chronic diseases represent a majority of our severe national healthcare burden. Yet, HWC certification programs vary in delivery method and degree awarded. The purpose of this paper is to provide an evidence based rationale for HWC as a complementary area of study to non-licensure granting, undergraduate health degrees in higher education. A comprehensive review of the literature related to the efficacy of HWC was completed. In addition, the national program directory was mined for descriptive data for approved HWC programs. Given the growing body of support for HWC as an effective intervention, we recommend that institutions deliver HWC curricula as an academic minor for undergraduate students in non-licensure granting health-related degrees to position graduates for entry level careers in HWC. Evidence from the successful deployment of an undergraduate program in HWC supports our contention that HWC be delivered as an academic minor in support of lifestyle health and wellness education. In doing so, the field can offer HWC in a way that is widely accessible to the undergraduate population, while providing a mechanism for direct employment as a professional health and wellness coach.

Expert Opinion on the Utility of Telemedicine in Obesity Care: Recommendations on a Hybrid Multidisciplinary Integrated Care Follow-Up Algorithm

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The proposed expert opinion was prepared by a panel of obesity and law specialists from Turkey to review the utility of telemedicine in obesity care and to provide a guidance document with recommendations on a hybrid multidisciplinary integrated care follow-up algorithm and the legislation governing telemedicine practice to assist obesity specialists in practicing the telemedicine.

RECENT FINDINGS

The efficacy and feasibility of telemedicine interventions in supporting obesity management programs even during pandemics confirm that obesity is a particularly well-suited field for telemedicine, emphasizing the strong likelihood of continued utilization of telemedicine in obesity management, beyond the pandemic period. Telemedicine has great potential to address several barriers to ongoing weight-management care, such as challenges of access to specialized care, cost, and time limitations as well as patient adherence to treatment. However, telemedicine practice should complement rather than replace the in-person visits which are unique in building rapport and offering social support. Accordingly, the participating experts recommend the use of a hybrid integrated care model in the management of obesity, with the use of telemedicine, as an adjunct to in-person visits, to enable the provision of suggested intensive obesity management via frequent visits by a multidisciplinary team of obesity specialists. Further research addressing the utility of telemedicine in terms of optimal modality and duration for successful long-term obesity management outcomes is necessary to develop specific guidelines on telemedicine practice. In addition, the legislation governing the norms and protocols on confidentiality, privacy, access, and liability needs to be improved.

Telehealth and cardiometabolic-based chronic disease: optimizing preventive care in forcibly displaced migrant populations

The number of migrants, which includes forcibly displaced refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented persons, is increasing worldwide. The global migrant population is heterogeneous in terms of medical conditions and vulnerability resulting from non-optimal metabolic risk factors in the country of origin (e.g., abnormal adiposity, dysglycemia, hypertension, and dyslipidemia), adverse travel conditions and the resulting stress, poverty, and anxiety, and varying effects of acculturation and access to healthcare services in the country of destination. Therefore, many of these migrants develop a high risk for cardiovascular disease and face the significant challenge of overcoming economic and health system barriers to accessing quality healthcare. In the host countries, healthcare professionals experience difficulties providing care to migrants, including cultural and language barriers, and limited institutional capacities, especially for those with non-legal status. Telehealth is an effective strategy to mitigate cardiometabolic risk factors primarily by promoting healthy lifestyle changes and pharmacotherapeutic adjustments. In this descriptive review, the role of telehealth in preventing the development and progression of cardiometabolic disease is explored with a specific focus on type 2 diabetes and hypertension in forcibly displaced migrants. Until now, there are few studies showing that culturally adapted telehealth services can decrease the burden of T2D and HTN. Despite study limitations, telehealth outcomes are comparable to those of traditional health care with the advantages of having better accessibility for difficult-to-reach populations such as forcibly displaced migrants and reducing healthcare associated costs. More prospective studies implementing telemedicine strategies to treat cardiometabolic disease burden in migrant populations are needed.

Nutrients and Cardiometabolic Health in Type 2 Diabetes

Paralleling the obesity pandemic, the prevalence and socioeconomic burden of type 2 diabetes are growing worldwide, requiring immediate attention and novel cost-effective preventive and therapeutic strategies [...].