Registered Dietitian Wellness Insurance Benefit Makes a Difference in Adult Weight Management: A Pre-Post Study
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Abstract
Registered Dietitian (RD) services as part of insurance wellness programs offer a promising potential venue for improving public health. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of RD nutrition counseling services provided as part of an insurance benefit on body weight and associated health parameters. Eligible members could enroll to receive 6 RDs visits a year for assistance with weight management. The study RDs were randomized into either Usual Care (UC) or Lifestyle Case Management (LCM) groups. Body weight, waist circumference, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements of program enrollees were evaluated for between group as well as start and end program comparisons. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of RD follow-up visits between the two groups as LCM patients had more RD contact than UC patients. Weight and waist circumference changes from baseline to end of study show statistically significant changes with a trend for improvement in systolic blood pressure. Additionally, a clinically significant reduction in weight was achieved in a quarter of program enrollees. In conclusion this study shows that through a coordinated health promotion program RDs’ services are of value to an insured population.
- L. Gaetke, M. Stuart and H. Truszczynska, “A Single Nutrition Counseling Session with a Registered Dietitian Improves Short-Term Clinical Outcomes for Rural Kentucky Patients with Chronic Diseases,” Journal American Dietetic Association, Vol. 106, No. 1, 2006, pp. 109-112. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2005.09.051
- C. Lemon, K. Lacey, B. Lohse, D. Hubactier, B. Kiawitter and M. Palta, “Outcomes Monitoring of Health, Behavior, and Quality of Life after Nutrition Intervention in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes,” Journal American Dietetic Association, Vol. 104, No. 12, 2004, pp. 1805-1815. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2004.09.024
- A. Holmes, B. Sanderson, R. Maisiak, A. Brown and V. Biitner, “Dietitian Services Are Associated with Improved Patient Outcomes and the MEDFICTS Dietary Assessment Questionnaire Is a Suitable Outcome Measure in Cardiac Rehabilitation,” Journal American Dietetic Association, Vol. 105, No. 10, 2005, pp. 1533-1540. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2005.08.001
- K. Rhodes, L. Bookstein, L. Aaronson, N. Mercer and C. Orringer, “Intensive Nutrition Counseling Enhances Outcomes of National Cholesterol Education Program Dietary Therapy,” Journal American Dietetic Association, Vol. 96, No. 10, 1996, pp. 1003-1010. doi:10.1016/S0002-8223(96)00268-4
- A. Wolf, M. Conaway, J. Crowther, K. Hazen, J. Nadler, B. Oneida and V. Bovbjerg, “Translating Lifestyle Intervention to Practice in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes,” Diabetes Care, Vol. 27, No. 7, 2004, pp. 1570-1576. doi:10.2337/diacare.27.7.1570
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “U.S. Obesity Trends. Trends by State 1985-2008,” 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html
- D. Howard, K. Thorpe and S. Busch, “Understanding Recent Increases in Chronic Disease Treatment Rates: More Disease or More Detection?” Health Economics, Policy and Law, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2010, pp. 411-435. doi:10.1017/S1744133110000149
- G. Oster, D. Thompson, J. Edelsberg, A. Bird and G. Colditz, “Lifetime Health and Economic Benefits of Weight Loss among Obese Persons,” American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 89, No. 10, 1999; pp. 1536-1542. doi:10.2105/AJPH.89.10.1536
- F. Pasanisi, F. Contaldo, G. de Simone and M. Mancini, “Benefits of Sustained Moderate Weight Loss in Obesity,” Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Disease, Vol. 11, No. 6, 2001, pp. 401-406.
- Writing Group of the Nutrition Care Process/Standardized Language Committee, “Nutrition Care Process Part II: Using the International Dietetics and Nutrition Terminology to Document the Nutrition Care Process,” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Vol. 108, No. 8, 2008, pp. 1287-1293. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.06.368