We offer a number of weight management services for families at the PCWH since we know that a one-size-fits-all won’t meet the varied preferences and needs of our families.
There are a number of logistical barriers (e.g., transportation/parking costs) that can make it difficult for families to attend clinic appointments. In response, we thought that some families might value having PCWH clinicians meet them at their homes, so our team would be able to offer families the support they wanted and needed. From a clinical viewpoint, visiting families in their homes provides clinicians with practical, tangible perspectives on what possibilities exist for families to make and maintain healthy changes in their homes.
This backdrop led us to apply for (and receive!) a small research grant from the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (UAlberta) and conduct a survey of families about their interest in and preferences for home visits for pediatric weight management. Overall, most families were very positive about having our clinicians visit their homes, appointments that would complement (not replace) in-clinic visits. We have both the organizational approval and available resources to offer families home visits, which we offer families on a case-by-case basis.
I’m pleased to share news that the results of our study were published recently in Acta Paediatrica. Congratulations to Nicole Gehring (first author and PCWH Research Coordinator) for the day-to-day leadership of our project!
GB
