Teen CHAT: Improving Physician Communication With Adolescents About Healthy Weight (TeenCHAT)

Duke University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Physical Activity; Nutrition; Obesity; Communication; Sleep

Treatments: Behavioral: Web-based intervention targeting MD communication; Summary Report

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01040975

Pro00016206

1R01HL092403-01A2 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to teach primary care physicians effective ways to counsel overweight and obese adolescent patients to attain a healthy weight. Fifty physicians and up to 660 adolescent patients from Duke University Health System (DUHS) Primary Care Clinics will take part in this study.

Patients will be identified by research study staff and asked if they would be willing to have their clinic visit audio recorded for research purposes. There are three phases of data collection. First, baseline encounters (n=200, 4 per physician) are audio recorded. Then, half of the physicians will be randomized to receive a tailored web-based intervention containing information about evidence-based techniques to help adolescents attain a healthy weight. A new set of 200 encounters (4 per physician) will be audio recorded. Then, all physicians will receive a Summary Report that outlines the adolescent's high risk behaviors that contribute to weight (sweetened beverages, fast food, breakfast, physical activity, screen time, and sleep) and a new set of 200 encounters will be audio recorded.

Data will be collected by trained data technicians, in-person and over the phone. Data is collected on laptop computers and then downloaded into password protected electronic files on a secure network server. All participants (adolescent patients and physicians) will be assigned a code number that is the sole identifier on all study data forms. Prior to and after coding, digital files will be stored in password protected directories to which only the data technicians and project manager have access. The web-based intervention will be password protected.

Enrollment: 684 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 18 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria for MDs:

• Specialty is Family Practice or Pediatrics
• Located in participating clinic
• Not planning to leave clinic in the next two years

Inclusion Criteria for teen patients:

• English-speaking
• BMI z-score >85th percentile
• age 12-18
• not pregnant
• have parental consent to participate if over 18
• have visit at least 7 days in the future
• have access to a telephone

Exclusion Criteria for teen patients:

• BMI z-score <85th percentile
• not English speaking
• pregnant
• <12 or older than 18
• incompetent for interview
• seen primarily by non-physician provider

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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684 participants in 2 patient groups

Motivational Interviewing intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Web-based intervention targeting MD communication and Summary Report

Treatment:

Behavioral: Web-based intervention targeting MD communication; Summary Report

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

MD receives Summary Report only