The UCHealth system launched a new program — PATHWEIGH — that allows patients to speak with their doctors about their weight without embarassment or uncomfortable feelings.
The PATHWEIGH program was created by doctors and researchers at UCHealth and the University of Colorado. While the program is built to discuss a patient’s weight it is not a weight loss program, a news release from UCHealth states.
The program allows primary care physicians to “deliver highly individualized care for patients with obesity, according to their needs and preferences,” the news release states.
“When our patients go to any of our primary care clinics where they have established care, they can ask their primary care provider for help. They don’t need a referral to a specialist,” said Dr. Leigh Perreault, an endocrinologist at UCHealth and associate clinical professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “It’s good for patients to know if they want medical assistance with their weight, they can now get it at UCHealth with their regular provider at no additional cost.”
Patients can request a PATHWEIGH, or weight-prioritized visit, at a UCHealth primary care office or online. During the visit, the physician uses a specially designed interface to drive the conversation. During the visit, the patient and doctor decide on tools or treatment options that are most appropriate for the patient including nutrition counseling, weight loss medications or even bariatric surgery.
“The benefit of providing this care in the primary care clinics is the long-term relationship with the patients and their providers,” said Dr. Pete Smith, UCHealth’s medical director for primary care and assistant dean for clinical affairs at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Weight loss and weight loss maintenance is a lifelong commitment. You really need to be invested in the lifelong relationship. And that’s what primary care providers do.”
During the pilot study of the program, researchers found that patients lost approximately three times the weight as other patients but more importantly it addressed over 200 health problems associated with obesity.
The program is currently available to patients at UCHealth primary care facilities in Colorado and Wyoming.
