Health professionals’ views of discussing weight management within a routine clinical consultation: a meta-synthesis

Abstract

Background: Obesity places a significant burden on health care systems globally. Key guidelines (NICE, USPSTF and the AMA) suggest health professionals (HPs) can play a pivotal role in weight management. However, weight management advice delivered by HPs remains inconsistent suggesting potential for improvement in both frequency and quality. This review is to identify and synthesise qualitative studies that elicit health professionals’ views of discussing weight management within a routine clinical consultation. Methods: A systematic search of four electronic databases was conducted (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO). Scoping exercises were used to refine search terms and to maximize identification of studies. Quality was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Thematic synthesis was used to analyse the data. Findings: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Synthesis resulted in the development of 3 key interlinking themes (a) responsibility for weight management (b) barriers to weight management and (c) enablers to weight management. Discussion: This research highlights the fact that considerable barriers still exist during consultations between health professionals and patients about weight management; suggesting an urgent need for changes in practice.