EPIC - Obesity Prevention Program
Program Overview
The NJ Pediatric Council on Research and Education (NJ PCORE) is currently implementing the “Healthy Habits, Healthy Living” program. Jointly funded by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Family Health Services and Children’s Futures, the program provides office based obesity prevention and care management training to eleven pediatric/family practitioners in the Trenton metropolitan area. Utilizing the EPIC (Educating Physicians In their Communities) model, two training sessions were conducted for all office staff at each practice site. The first module introduces age appropriate anticipatory guidance and messages, in an effort to establish sound nutrition and activity advice within the context of the medical home. The second module introduces AAP’s Staged Approach to Obesity Treatment which provides practices with clinical and behavior modification tools to initiate office based treatment for their overweight and obese patients and families. Partnerships with community based organizations and state and local agencies were created so that the office staff are empowered to initiate sustainable office based change. Each office received bilingual educational materials to use when interfacing with patients and their families.
Evaluation - Pre and post training surveys and chart reviews were conducted to evaluate the program outcomes.
Pre/post training results:
Significant gains in knowledge and attitude were measured as follows:
Significant gains in knowledge
a. Prevention: 32% gain in knowledge
Pretest: M=60.6; Post test: M=80.2 (32% gain)
b. Care Coordination: 44% gain in knowledge
Pretest: M=47.1; Post test: M=67.7 (44% gain)
Significant change in attitudes: Understand importance of:
a. Anticipatory guidance: 20% increase
b. Parent education: 30% increase
c. Breastfeeding: 56% increase
Chart Review Results
Increased use of all recommended screening tools including weight for age, weight for length, and BMI.
Practices incorporated the use of the Healthy Habits Healthy Living Anticipatory Guidance Forms by a rate of slightly more than 50%.