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. 2024 Aug 8:12:100123.
doi: 10.1016/j.obpill.2024.100123. eCollection 2024 Dec.

What influences patient decisions when selecting an obesity treatment?

Hilary C Craig  1   2 , David Walley  2 , Carel W le Roux  1   2
Affiliations

What influences patient decisions when selecting an obesity treatment?

Hilary C Craig et al. Obes Pillars. .

Abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to understand patient preferences for obesity treatments, to describe how patients choose treatment options, and what factors influence their decisions.

Methods: This participatory action research used purposeful sampling to recruit 10 patients with complications of obesity. Photovoice was used as the qualitative research methodology. Recruitment took place in specialist clinics for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. Two males and eight females aged 18-75 years, with a BMI greater than 35 kg/m2 were recruited. Participants watched a 60-min ​video explaining nutritional, pharmacological, and surgical therapies in equipoise. Data was collected using photographs with a disposal camera followed by one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Afterward, this analysis utilised reflective thematic analysis.

Results: Five main themes were identified that influenced patients' decisions when selecting an obesity treatment: 1] Accessibility issues, 2] Polypharmacy, 3] Fears around future health 4] Lack of Support 5] Information Mismanagement.

Conclusion: The themes identified in this study represent the patients' voices for those living with obesity complications and what influences their decisions on treatment options. The findings underscore the need for a holistic and patient-centred approach to the management of obesity and its associated complications. Patient-centred care including knowledge, health literacy, support, and participation is essential to providing effective care for patients with obesity to make decisions between treatment options.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Hilary C. Craig, reports full funding of PhD tuition fees from the Stratification of Obesity Phenotypes to Optimize Future Obesity Therapy (SOPHIA) project (www.imisophia.eu). reports support provided by University College Dublin Prof Carel le Roux reports a relationship with 10.13039/501100001631University College Dublin that includes: board membership, consulting or advisory, equity or stocks, speaking and lecture fees, and travel reimbursement. Hilary C. Craig, funding of PhD tuition fees from the Stratification of Obesity Phenotypes to Optimize Future Obesity Therapy (SOPHIA) project (www.imisophia.eu). David Walley – no conflict of interest. Carel W. le Roux: Consulting fees/Honoria/Support for meetings: NovoNordisk, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim, GI Dynamics, Herbalife. Leadership/fiduciary role in Board: Irish Society for Nutrition and Metabolism (unpaid). Stock Options: Keyron Previous Chief medical officer and Director of the Medical Device Division of Keyron in 2011. Both of these were unremunerated positions. Previous investor in Keyron, which develops endoscopically implantable medical devices intended to mimic the surgical procedures of sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. He continues to provide scientific advice to Keyron for no remuneration If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Polypharmacy.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Fears around future health.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Information mismanagement.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Support.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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