Latorre-Rodríguez Andrés R, Shah Raj H, Munir Seema, Mittal Sumeet K
Norton Thoracic Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Grupo de Investigación Clínica, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
Obes Pillars. 2024 Aug 30;12:100131. doi: 10.1016/j.obpill.2024.100131. eCollection 2024 Dec.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, weight loss programs rapidly transitioned to a virtual model, replacing in-person clinic visits. We sought to compare the observed weight loss and adherence to treatment between patients referred for intensive behavioral therapy (IBT) who were treated via telemedicine and those treated in person.
After IRB approval, we conducted a retrospective observational study of patients referred for clinical bariatric IBT between January 2019 and June 2021 who were followed in person or via telemedicine. The primary endpoint was the percentage of excess BMI loss (EBL%); secondary endpoints included treatment adherence, duration of follow-up, and number of completed visits.
During the study period, 139 patients were seen for at least one IBT session for weight management: 62 were followed up in person (IP) and 77 via telemedicine (TM). The mean age, baseline BMI, and follow-up duration between the groups were similar. In the IP and TM groups, the EBL% was -24.7 ± 24.7 and -22.7 ± 19.5 (P = 0.989) and loss to follow-up after the first visit was 27.4% and 19.5% (P = 0.269), respectively.
For the management of obesity, weight loss programs delivered via telemedicine can achieve similar outcomes to those provided via classical in-person visits. This study suggests that the integration of telecare into clinical practice in bariatric medicine should be considered in the future. Emerging technologies may allow adequate patient follow-up in multiple scenarios, specifically non-critical chronic disorders, and bring unanticipated benefits for patients and healthcare providers.
在新冠疫情期间，减肥项目迅速转变为虚拟模式，取代了面对面的门诊就诊。我们试图比较接受强化行为疗法（IBT）的患者通过远程医疗治疗和面对面治疗的体重减轻情况及治疗依从性。
经机构审查委员会（IRB）批准，我们对2019年1月至2021年6月期间被转诊接受临床肥胖症IBT治疗的患者进行了一项回顾性观察研究，这些患者接受了面对面或远程医疗随访。主要终点是超重体重指数降低百分比（EBL%）；次要终点包括治疗依从性、随访持续时间和完成就诊次数。
在研究期间，139名患者因体重管理至少接受了一次IBT治疗：62名接受了面对面随访（IP），77名通过远程医疗随访（TM）。两组之间的平均年龄、基线体重指数和随访持续时间相似。在IP组和TM组中，EBL%分别为-24.7±24.7和-22.7±19.5（P = 0.989），首次就诊后的失访率分别为27.4%和19.5%（P = 0.269）。
对于肥胖症的管理，通过远程医疗提供的减肥项目可以取得与传统面对面就诊相似的效果。这项研究表明，未来应考虑将远程护理纳入肥胖症医学的临床实践中。新兴技术可能允许在多种情况下对患者进行充分随访，特别是对于非危急慢性疾病，并为患者和医疗服务提供者带来意想不到的益处。
