Assessing Opportunities to Advance Quality Measures in Adult Obesity
December 2021
Obesity is a serious chronic disease in the United States. From 2017 to 2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults was 42.4%, with no significant differences between men and women among all adults or by age group. In a new American Journal of Managed Care article, Director Kaitlyn Esselman, Senior Project Manager Tess Donckels, and others evaluate the methodological soundness and performance of three obesity quality measures aimed at promoting improvements in obesity care.
Findings from the study suggest that there are emerging opportunities to advance obesity quality measurement incrementally. A process measure focused on obesity diagnosis has the most potential for immediate implementation by clinicians. Additional measures focused on change in body mass index over time and use of evidence-based obesity treatment remain challenging to implement due to data capture and benefit coverage.