Date of Paper/Work
5-2022
Type of Paper/Work
Doctor of Nursing Practice Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Jocelyn Gorlin
Department/School
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Abstract
Problem Statement: The goal of the project was to develop and implement a toolkit to manage childhood obesity and increase satisfaction in pediatric providers within a rural primary care setting.
Background: The project site was a rural pediatric clinic that was lacking educational resources to counsel families on healthy diet and physical activity as well as clear recommendations for referring patients to multidisciplinary weight loss interventions. Providers were often referring patients to weight management services outside of the local community and services were being underutilized by patients.
Methodology: A toolkit was developed to assist providers in caring for overweight children. This included resources to counsel patients and families on healthy nutritional choices and physical activity and incorporated a workflow to encourage utilization of the local dietician and clear follow-up guidelines with the primary care provider. Using dietician services locally along with telehealth for follow up appointments with the primary care provider was intended to increase family’s accessibility and improve adherence. Pre- and post-surveys were completed by the healthcare providers at the project site to measure satisfaction in managing childhood obesity.
Results: The survey results showed an increase in provider’s knowledge and access to resources in caring for overweight children. The toolkit made time spent counseling on healthy diet and physical activity more efficient. Results showed a dramatic uptake in utilizing dietician services within the local community, making services more accessible to families.
Conclusion: The intent of the project was to increase provider satisfaction in caring for overweight children. This was accomplished by developing a toolkit that contained the necessary educational resources and a defined workflow process for referring patients to nutritional counseling services and recommendations for follow up appointments with the primary care provider. By developing this process, providers were more willing to utilize multidisciplinary services within the local community, increasing accessibility to families.
Recommended Citation
Barie, Jennifer L.. (2022). A Toolkit for the Managing Childhood Obesity: Increasing Provider Satisfaction in Providing Care for Overweight Children. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/dnp_projects/151