Adherence
Primary care provider (PCP) referral into a structured behavioral weight loss intervention does not significantly increase weight loss outcomes compared to non-PCP referral methods.
If your doctor refers you to a weight loss program, do not expect the referral itself to guarantee better results than if you had found the program on your own. The study shows that the act of referral does not significantly change weight loss outcomes or adherence rates. Focus on engaging with the program's behavioral strategies (coaching, self-monitoring) regardless of how you entered it.
Participants in both PCP and non-PCP referral groups lost a similar amount of weight from baseline to 24 months. PCP referral was not significantly associated with percentage of completed coach contacts, web logins, and satisfaction with trial...
Why this rating
Based on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a large sample size (N=415) and rigorous statistical adjustment, though it is a secondary analysis.
Source
Role of PCP referral and weight loss in the Hopkins POWER trial
Eva Tseng et al. · Preventive Medicine Reports · 2015
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