Context of the issue
Access to specialist weight management services for people with severe obesity is a challenge. Waiting lists are long and have lengthened since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the number of patients being referred has increased as other treatment options have become available. As a result, many services are investigating how to evolve to support their patients.
A significant proportion of specialist weight management services have considered virtual delivery of behaviour change programmes where in-person delivery of care is less practical. However, evidence-based options are limited. PROGROUP is an evidence-based group behavioural change programme specifically designed for people living with severe obesity. Patient acceptability and service delivery of the in-person version have been assessed through a national feasibility trial. The flexibility of in-person and remote delivery could enable this to become the standard approach across the NHS, and one that can be further adapted to include pharmacotherapy as necessary.
How the project addresses the issue
This study designs and tests a new remote version of the PROGROUP facilitated group-based behavioural intervention for people with severe obesity. The overall aim is to establish a remote version of PROGROUP as a treatment option in a programme with nationwide reach.
Dr Dawn Swancutt
