Obesity Abstracts

Background: High attrition rates undermine the effectiveness of weight management interventions (WMI). Up to 80% of participants prematurely cease their engagement with a WMI, but a comprehensive understanding of attrition remains elusive (Moroshko & Brennan et al, 2011). For greater insight, Lemstra & Bird (2016), call for more qualitative studies, however, a key challenge is recruiting active and former participants. The Office for National Statistics (2017), report that 95% of UK households own a mobile phone, therefore SMS represents a fast and inclusive form of data collection. The aim of this project was to explore PREMs of engagement in an NHS Adult Weight Management Service (AWMS), using a bespoke SMS application.

Methods: The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) AWMS, collaborated with small/medium enterprise, ‘Nudjed’, to develop an innovative digital tool to gather PREMs using a SMS application. At 6-week intervals, patients received texts prompting them to quantitatively rate their experience based on a 5-point Likert scale, and provide a qualitative summary, the content analysis of which was performed using NVivo. This study was approved by the Risk Review Panel at ABUHB’s Research and Development Department. All participants provided written consent.

Results: Over 18-months, 840 texts were received from 378 participants (22.0% men, 78.0% women). Combined, ‘helpful’, ‘understanding’, ‘listened’, and ‘encouraging’, were mentioned by 40.0% of participants and represented themes which were mostly positively reported. Combined, ‘supportive’, ‘informative’, ‘advice’, ‘knowledge’, and ‘learning’, were mentioned by 33.0% of participants. Some reported being happy with these aspects, however, many expected more tailored support, information and advice, suggesting that meeting individual needs and expectations is important for retention. Barriers to engagement centred around the waiting times between appointments, as combined, ‘time’, and ‘waiting’, were mentioned by 17.0% of participants.

Conclusions: Digital tools using SMS provides an effective platform to evaluate PREMs of engagement in WMIs. Patients valued the helpful, understanding, and encouraging environment provided by the AWMS, but many expected more personally tailored support and education to better manage their weight, and waiting times between appointments were also barriers to engagement.

Keywords: Weight management intervention, attrition, digital tool

Disclosures: No conflicts to declare.