title: Primary care providers' perspectives on online weight-loss programs: a big wish list.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Integrating online weight-loss programs into the primary care setting could yield substantial public health benefit. Little is known about primary care providers' perspectives on online weight-loss programs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess primary care providers' perspectives on online weight-loss programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted focus group discussions with providers in family medicine, internal medicine, and combined internal medicine/pediatrics in Texas and Pennsylvania, USA. Open-ended questions addressed their experience with and attitudes toward online weight-loss programs; useful characteristics of existing online weight-loss programs; barriers to referring patients to online weight-loss programs; and preferred characteristics of an ideal online weight-loss program. Transcripts were analyzed with the grounded theory approach to identify major themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 44 primary care providers participated in 9 focus groups. The mean age was 45 (SD 9) years. Providers had limited experience with structured online weight-loss programs and were uncertain about their safety and efficacy. They thought motivated, younger patients would be more likely than others to respond to an online weight-loss program. According to primary care providers, an ideal online weight-loss program would provide-at no cost to the patient-a structured curriculum addressing motivation, psychological issues, and problem solving; tools for tracking diet, exercise, and weight loss; and peer support monitored by experts. Primary care providers were interested in receiving reports about patients from the online weight-loss programs, but were concerned about the time required to review and act on the reports.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary care providers have high expectations for how online weight-loss programs should deliver services to patients and fit into the clinical workflow. Efforts to integrate online weight-loss programs into the primary care setting should address efficacy and safety of online weight-loss programs in clinic-based populations; acceptable methods of sending reports to primary care providers about their patients' progress; and elimination or reduction of costs to patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA. kevin.o.hwang@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Kevin O
authors.initials: KO
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Heather L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Stuckey
authors.forename: Monica C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kraschnewski
authors.forename: Samuel N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Forjuoh
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Poger
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McTigue
authors.forename: Christopher N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Sciamanna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000523:psychology*; D015431:Weight Loss