COMPaRE-PHC Webinar: Managing obesity 2016

COMPaRE-PHC presents a free webinar on

Managing obesity in general practice

Presented by
Professor Jon Karnon and Jodi Gray (University of Adelaide) and Professor Mark Harris (University of New South Wales)

Date: Thursday 26th May 2016, 

2pm NZ, 12 Noon NSW, 11.30am SA & NT, 10am WA

Via Zoom Web Conferencing

There is no cost to attend the webinar but registration is essential and membership of the HSRAANZ is encouraged. (Not a member- join now.)

Please register at: Please register at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/25c8c82a3f0fb7cf8c34be5db4a05ad8

After Registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Abstract

Managing obesity is a major and increasing challenge for the Australian Health System. While GPs have an important role in the assessment and management of obesity and its complications, the intensity of support required for most obese patients to achieve and maintain weight loss is much higher than the amount of support it is possible to provide in routine practice.
 
Despite this GPs have limited referral options and relatively few patients are referred for more intensive behavioural or surgical interventions. There are a range of patient, practitioner and system factors that influence GPs decision to refer patients for weight management support, some of which can be addressed to improve referral.
 
One alternative to external referral is for patients to be offered more intensive, structured programs within general practice by practice nurses. This has a number of advantages but requires training, quality control and adequate funding to ensure that it is effective and sustainable.
Webinar participants will obtain:
  • An understanding of the issues around the management of obesity in primary care
  • A clearer view of what referral options are needed and the role that local health authorities and PHNs could play in developing these
  • An opportunity to express interest in involvement in further research in this area.

COMPaRE-PHC is a Centre for Research Excellence involving Universities and collaborating organisations across three states. The Centre is focused on conducting and translating research on weight management and obesity prevention into primary health care. This webinar will present some of the findings from the Centre’s research on the pathways for the management of obesity in primary care.

Please click for the YouTube presentation and PowerPoint slides. 

Please click here for more information.

Biographies:

Mark Harris is Scientia Professor and Executive Director of the Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity at UNSW and Director of COMPaRE-PHC (Centre for Obesity Management and Prevention Research Excellence in Primary Health Care). Professor Harris has edited three editions of the RACGP Guidelines for Preventive Care in General Practice and two editions of the RACGP SNAP guide (for lifestyle interventions in general practice). His main research area is on chronic illness prevention and management in primary health care. He has worked in urban and rural general practice and is currently a volunteer clinician at the Sydney Asylum Seekers Centre.

Jodi Gray is a Health Economics Fellow within the School of Public Health at the University of Adelaide. She is the coordinator of the Pilot Study of the Counterweight Program, which examined the feasibility and acceptability of the Counterweight weight management program to Australian general practices and patients. She has previously worked on a project which examined the cost-effectiveness of involving practice nurses in the management of obese patients in general practice.

Jon Karnon is a Professor of Health Economics at the University of Adelaide. He led a large observational study looking at the costs and effects of practice nurse involvement in the management of chronic conditions in primary care, including obesity. He has a broad interest in improving the delivery of health services through the economic evaluation of novel service options, the improvement of existing service pathways and the accurate assessment of the opportunity costs of funding decisions across the healthcare system.