Integrating U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Recommendations on Childhood Obesity into Practice

Childhood obesity is a significant problem in the United States, with one in three children overweight or obese. The physical and emotional consequences of childhood obesity often continue into adulthood. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that clinicians screen children aged 6 years and older for obesity and offer or refer them to intensive counseling and behavioral interventions that promote weight control. This project examines a local pediatric practice that suspected they were not adhering to these recommendations. Furthermore, a care process model (CPM) for childhood obesity was available to this practice, but had not been integrated into the clinic's workflow. Project objectives included: a) measure the clinic's baseline adherence to USPSTF recommendations through retrospective chart review, b) adapt the CPM for a team-based, on-site weight management program, c) implement the weight management program, d) re-measure the clinic's adherence to USPSTF recommendations through retrospective chart review, and e) disseminate the project to peers through a poster or podium presentation at a professional conference. The CPM was adapted under the direction of clinic management, providers, and content experts. Approved materials were gathered and compiled by topic. A program integration plan was created and then incorporated into a flowchart that included staff roles and workflow. Providers and staff members were subsequently trained, and the program was launched. Results of the baseline and re-measurement chart reviews were compared and confirmed that the clinic's adherence to USPSTF increased by ___% following adoption of the weight management program. This project demonstrated that with proper structure and resources, a clinic was able to increase adherence to USPSTF recommendations on childhood obesity. The weight management program assured good use of available materials and attenuated staff barriers to integrating a CPM into practice.