Obesity refers to a disorder that involves an individual having excessive body fat or being overweight. Obesity is a common and costly chronic disease often associated with reduced quality of health and poor mental health (CDC, 2022). Numerous factors contribute to a person being obese, including sleep routines, eating patterns, physical activity levels, genetics, and social determinants of health. As a nurse practitioner (NP) in primary care, the adults’ body mass index assessment (BMI) measure would be the performance measure that I would use for the effectiveness of the care domain (NCQA, 2023). As a nurse practitioner, I could evaluate my performance in providing health care services to the country’s steadily growing obese population through this examination.
The United States of America’s obesity prevalence has been increasing continuously, with the national rate at 41.9% in 2017-March 2020 (CDC, 2022). In 2019 dollars, the estimated yearly medical cost of obesity in the United States was nearly $173 billion (CDC, 2022). Those individuals with obesity had medical expenses that were $1,861 more than those for people who were in a healthy weight range (CDC, 2022). Obesity will significantly increase the strain on the healthcare system and the waste of resources; however, once it is prevented, it can be used effectively in other parts of the healthcare system. As a nurse practitioner, one of the appropriate ways to evaluate the quality of healthcare provided to patients is to implement adult BMI assessment as a performance measure in primary care settings. The three interventions I would use as a nurse practitioner in primary care concerning adult BMI measurement are setting up physical activity goals, encouraging the patients to change their lifestyles, and recommending healthy diets to the patients.
The first intervention is encouraging obese patients to change their lifestyles and lose weight. Because of the stigma usually attached to obesity and emotions, health professionals might find it challenging to initiate a conversation with the patients (Wharton et al., 2020). The nurse practitioner would present the obese patients with objective data such as their height, weight, and BMI and then compare the numbers to the typical weight ranges for others of similar height and weight (Wharton et al., 2020). This would assist in personalizing the conversation and help the patient understand the difficulties they would be facing. Nurse practitioners must avoid using language that shows negative feelings, insensitivity, and judgments when dealing with these patients. After the patients understand their health challenges, the nurse practitioner can motivate them to lose weight and change their lifestyle. Patients would be incredibly motivated to change their lifestyle if told how vital weight loss was to them and the health dangers associated with obesity. The outcomes of this intervention can be measured by tracking the patients’ weight loss and BMI over a while.
The second intervention associated with adult BMI assessment performance measures is a nutrition education and healthy diet recommendations to the patients. Numerous patients who suffer from obesity often struggle with maintaining a healthy weight because they lack basic knowledge about healthy eating habits (Semlitsch et al., 2019). As a nurse practitioner, I would educate obese patients on healthy eating habits that promote weight management. One way to implement this intervention is by scheduling a one-on-one consultation with the patients to discuss their diet and eating habits. Another method would be referring the patients to a registered dietitian. To reach and maintain a healthy weight, patients with obesity may require specialized dietary interventions from a specialist. As a nurse practitioner, I would recommend trained dietitians to obese patients who require more specialized dietary advice. After recommending the dietitian, it is essential to encourage the patients to attend therapy sessions and strictly follow the diet tips offered by the dietitian to realize results. The patient’s weight loss, BMI, and improved dietary habits can all be tracked to determine the effectiveness of this strategy.
The third intervention, associated with adult BMI assessment performance measures, motivates the patients to improve their physical activity and set goals. There are numerous types of physical activity, such as running, jogging, walking, and swimming, and being active has been proven to have various mental and physical health benefits (Semlitsch et al., 2019). Exercising on a regular basis can help patients achieve weight loss because exercising increases individuals metabolism hence burning more calories and losing weight (Semlitsch et al., 2019). For obese patients who are struggling to achieve a healthy body mass index through regular exercise and lifestyle changes alone, as a nurse practitioner, I would recommend them to weight loss programs. The nurse practitioner should educate the patients on the importance of exercising and motivate them to continue being active since it might be easy to backslide. It is also important to note that combining exercise, a healthy diet, eating habits, and then appropriate lifestyle will result in great results when trying to lose weight. The outcomes of this intervention would be measured by tracking the number of patients who have successfully achieved a healthy body mass index range through these strategies.
Numerous tools can be used to track the outcomes related to the utilization of the interventions named above. As a primary care nurse practitioner, I would utilize tools such as a weight tracer, BMI calculator, and physical activity trackers such as smartwatches. These wearables are effective in tracking physical activity because first, they can provide notifications such as reminders to stand up or move after sitting for a long time. Second, they effectively track trainees’ progress and provide real-time data on their performance. These tools will enable health professionals to track patient progress over time and effectively provide the necessary data to adjust the intervention plan.
The primary care interventions above can improve patient outcomes and cost savings for the healthcare system in several ways. These primary care interventions would result in improved outcomes and healthcare cost savings by lowering the incidence of obesity-related chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 disease, and certain forms of cancer (Semlitsch et al., 2019). Once the patients utilize the interventions above, the money the government usually budgets to purchase medicines and subsidize treatment methods will otherwise be used to fund other projects. These interventions would also improve nurse practitioner-patient ratings by demonstrating a commitment to patient-centered care and providing the patients with the information and assistance needed to achieve their health goals.
In conclusion, obesity is a chronic illness with numerous causes, which lead to an individual having excessive weight and poor health. The obesity rate in the United States has been on the rise over the past years, and a significant part of the country’s budget is spent on the healthcare system to manage obesity. As a nurse practitioner in primary care, the three interventions I would use concerning adult BMI measurement are encouraging the patients to change their lifestyles, setting up physical activity goals, and recommending healthy diets to the patients. Patients would benefit from improved health outcomes and ultimately spend less on healthcare if appropriate weight control was encouraged. Similarly, patients would feel empowered and engaged in their care if progress was tracked and continuing assistance was offered, increasing patient satisfaction scores.
References
CDC. (2022, September 27). Overweight & obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html
NCQA. (2023, January 20). Weight assessment and counseling for nutrition and physical activity for children/adolescents. NCQA. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.ncqa.org/hedis/measures/weight-assessment-and-counseling-for-nutrition-and-physical-activity-for-children-adolescents/
Semlitsch, T., Stigler, F. L., Jeitler, K., Horvath, K., & Siebenhofer, A. (2019). Management of overweight and obesity in primary care—a systematic overview of international evidence‐based guidelines. Obesity Reviews, 20(9), 1218–1230. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12889
Wharton, S., Lau, D. C. W., Vallis, M., Sharma, A. M., Biertho, L., Campbell-Scherer, D., Adamo, K., Alberga, A., Bell, R., Boulé, N., Boyling, E., Brown, J., Calam, B., Clarke, C., Crowshoe, L., Divalentino, D., Forhan, M., Freedhoff, Y., Gagner, M., … Wicklum, S. (2020). Obesity in adults: A clinical practice guideline. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(31). https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.191707
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