DescriptionPurpose of Project: The purpose of this doctor of nursing practice (DNP) project was to implement a tracking tool that guided and monitored the application of the adult obesity management guidelines.
Methodology: This was a quality improvement project with an analysis of workflow. This project took place at a private practice specializing in medical nutrition and weight management. The study population consisted of a single physician at the practice. The physician was consented for study participation. The weight management tool was implemented by adding it to all patient charts for completion by the provider during each patient visit. Intervention data collection occurred over three months. Once data collection was completed, then review of the data for the three-month post implementation was done. The primary outcome measured was the rate of completion of the obesity management tracking tool.
Results: The McNemar change test showed statistically significant improvement in documentation of weight (McNemar 4.000, N=39, 1 df, p=.039) and BMI (McNemar 7.579, N=39, 1 df, p=.004).
Implications for Practice: Improved documentation of key weight management data points such as BMI and weight can trigger early intervention when weight is trending in an unhealthy direction. Preventing obesity can reduce the healthcare costs related to comorbidities associated with obesity.