Adherence
In real-world digital weight loss programs combining behavioral therapy and GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), inadequate supply of the desired medication is the primary driver of patient discontinuation, outweighing cost and dissatisfaction with outcomes.
If you are using a digital weight loss program that includes GLP-1 medication, expect that medication supply issues are the most common reason for stopping treatment. To stay in the program, be prepared to discuss alternative medications with your care team if your preferred drug is unavailable, rather than discontinuing entirely. Also, consider the total value of the multidisciplinary support (doctors, dietitians, nurses) when evaluating the monthly cost, as cost is the second most common reason for dropping out.
Inadequate supplying of a patient’s desired glucose-like peptide-1 receptor agonist medication was the most common reason for discontinuation (43.7%), followed by program cost (26.2%), result dissatisfaction (9.9%), and service dissatisfaction (7.2%).
Why this rating
Large sample size (n=5604) and mixed-methods design, though limited by self-reported survey data from less than half the cohort.
Source
Patient Adherence to a Real-World Digital, Asynchronous Weight Loss Program in Australia That Combines Behavioural and GLP-1 RA Therapy: A Mixed Methods Study
Louis Talay et al. · Behavioral Sciences · 2024
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