Combating Obesity at Community Health Centers (COACH): A Quality Improvement Collaborative for Weight Management Programs.

Community health centers (CHCs) seek effective strategies to address obesity MidWest Clinicians' Network partnered with [an academic medical center] to test feasibility of a weight management quality improvement (QI) collaborative. MidWest Clinicians' Network members expressed interest in an obesity QI program. This pilot study aimed determine whether the QI model can be feasibly implemented with limited resourcess at CHCs to improve weight management programs. Five health centers with weight man ment programs enrolled with CHC staff as primary study participants; this study did attempt to measure patient outcomes. Participants attended learning sessions and monthly conference calls to build QI skills and share best practices. Tailored coaching address local needs. Topics rated most valuable were patient recruitment/retention strategies, techniques, evidence-based weight management, motivational interviewing. Challenges included garnering provider support, high staff turnover, and difficulty tracking pa level data. This paper reports practical lessons about implementing a weight management QI collaborative in CHCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]