The Application of Telemedicine to Pediatric Obesity: Lessons from the Past Decade

DeSilva, Samantha; Vaidya, Susma Shanti

doi:10.1089/tmj.2019.0314

Cited by 41 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Telemedicine has been demonstrated, according to two comprehensive reviews of pediatric studies, to be non-inferior to in-person treatment programs, as measured by weight loss, with high rates of patients satisfaction [17,18]. While less has been published about the use of telemedicine to treat obesity in adults, it has been suggested as a novel and powerful way to deliver comprehensive patient centered care, and as a tool to increase access to bariatric surgery, where less than 1% of eligible patients undergo this procedure, and half of those who initiate a treatment program drop out [19].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Obesity in Lockdown: Survey of Health Behaviors and Telemedicine

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, billions of people have gone into lockdown, facing pandemic related challenges that engender weight gain, especially in the obese. We report the results of an online survey, conducted during Israel’s first quarantine, of 279 adults treated in hospital-based obesity clinics with counseling, medications, surgery, endoscopic procedures, or any combination of these for weight loss. In this study, we assessed the association between changes in dietary and lifestyle habits and body weight, and the benefits of receiving weight management care remotely through telemedicine during lockdown. Compared to patients not receiving obesity care via telemedicine, patients receiving this care were more likely to lose weight (OR, 2.79; p = 0.042) and also to increase participation in exercise (OR, 2.4; p = 0.022). While 40% of respondents reported consuming more sweet or salty processed snacks and 33% reported less vegetables and fruits, 65% reported more homemade foods. At the same time, 40% of respondents reported a reduction in exercise and 52% reported a decline in mood. Alterations in these eating patterns, as well as in exercise habits and mood, were significantly associated with weight changes. This study highlights that lockdown affects health behaviors associated with weight change, and advocates for the use of telemedicine to provide ongoing obesity care during future quarantines in order to promote weight loss and prevent weight gain.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Obesity in Lockdown: Survey of Health Behaviors and Telemedicine

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Our findings expand upon a prior study of 360 children and parents randomized to a telehealth family-centered weight management arm in which parents had high levels of engagement and satisfaction with a combination of interactive text messaging and telehealth video calls [ 23 ]. A systematic review indicated noninferiority in children’s weight status improvement in telehealth versus in-person treatment delivery, with no difference in attrition rates and consistently high parental satisfaction with telemedicine [ 24 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Tools to Support Family-Based Weight Management for Children: Mixed Methods Pilot and Feasibility Study

Staiano¹,

Shanley²,

Kihm³

et al. 2021

JMIR Pediatr Parent

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Family-based behavioral therapy is an efficacious approach to deliver weight management counseling to children and their parents. However, most families do not have access to in-person, evidence-based treatment. We previously developed and tested DRIVE (Developing Relationships that Include Values of Eating and Exercise), a home-based parent training program to maintain body weight among children at risk for obesity, with the intent to eventually disseminate it nationally alongside SafeCare, a parent support program that focuses on parent-child interactions. Currently the DRIVE program has only been tested independently of SafeCare. This study created the “mHealth DRIVE” program by further adapting DRIVE to incorporate digital and mobile health tools, including remotely delivered sessions, a wireless scale that enabled a child-tailored weight graph, and a pedometer. Telehealth delivery via mHealth platforms and other digital tools can improve program cost-effectiveness, deliver long-term care, and directly support both families and care providers. Objective The objective of this study was to examine preliminary acceptability and effectiveness of the mHealth DRIVE program among children and parents who received it and among SafeCare providers who potentially could deliver it. Methods Study 1 was a 13-week pilot study of a remotely delivered mHealth family-based weight management program. Satisfaction surveys were administered, and height and weight were measured pre- and post-study. Study 2 was a feasibility/acceptability survey administered to SafeCare providers. Results Parental and child satisfaction (mean of 4.9/6.0 and 3.8/5.0, respectively) were high, and children’s (N=10) BMI z-scores significantly decreased (mean –0.14, SD 0.17; P=.025). Over 90% of SafeCare providers (N=74) indicated that SafeCare families would benefit from learning how to eat healthily and be more active, and 80% of providers reported that they and the families would benefit from digital tools to support child weight management. Conclusions Pediatric mHealth weight management interventions show promise for effectiveness and acceptability by families and providers. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03297541, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03297541.

show abstract

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7] Patients feel that telemedicine yields high satisfaction, allows good communication, saves time, and is cost-effective. [5][6][7][8][9][10] Telemedicine decreases hospitalization rates and visits to the emergency room. 6 Studies also found that telemedicine yields similar results as face-to-face encounters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6 Studies also found that telemedicine yields similar results as face-to-face encounters. 8,9,[11][12][13][14] It was even considered to be the major channel for care delivery 15 ; however, its implementation and usage have still been relatively low. 16 The advent of the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in a rapid and significant adoption of telemedicine for both chronic and acute conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%