Using a group medical visit model to promote healthy behaviour change with an underserved population

Background Models of care are needed to address physical activity, nutrition promotion and weight loss in primary care settings, especially with underserved populations who are disproportionately affected by chronic illness. Group medical visits (GMVs) are one approach that can help overcome some of the barriers to behaviour change in underserved populations, including the amount of time required to care for these patients due to socio-economic stressors and psychosocial complexities (1). GMVs have been shown to improve care in coronary artery disease and diabetes, but more evidence is needed in underserved settings. Objective This project sought to evaluate a GMV incorporating a physical activity component in an underserved patient population, measuring biometric and motivation outcome measures. Methods This project used a pre–post intervention study design through patient surveys at baseline and 12 weeks. We included validated motivational measures along with self-reported demographic information. A GMV intervention promoting physical activity and nutrition to promote weight loss was delivered by an interdisciplinary primary care team and community partners in a Federally Qualified Health Center in Rochester, NY. The intervention consisted of six, 2-hour sessions that occurred every other week at the clinic site. Results Participants lost a significant amount of weight and maintained the weight loss at 6 months. In addition, there was a significant improvement in motivation measures. Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence that our GMV model can improve weight loss and autonomous motivation in an underserved population. This project has potential for scalability and sustainability.