Online Behavioral Intervention Research Articles

Evaluating a novel online behavioural intervention to encourage cost-conscious strategies among US adults with chronic conditions who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan: a proof-of-concept pilot study

ObjectivesPatients with chronic conditions enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) face cost-related access barriers and high out-of-pocket spending. Our objectives were to develop a novel behavioural intervention to help HDHP...

An online behavioural self-help intervention rapidly improves acute insomnia severity and subjective mood during the COVID-19 pandemic: a stratified randomised controlled trial.

Stressful life events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can cause acute insomnia. Cognitive behavioural therapy for acute insomnia is effective but is both time and resource-intensive. This study investigated if an online behavioural self-help intervention, which has been successfully used alongside sleep restriction for acute insomnia, reduced insomnia severity and improved mood in acute insomnia. This study also assessed good sleepers to explore if a "sleep vaccination" approach was feasible. In this online stratified randomised controlled trial, 344 participants (103 good sleepers and 241 participants with DSM-5 acute insomnia) were randomised to receive the intervention/no intervention (good sleepers) or intervention/intervention after 28 days (poor sleepers). Insomnia severity was assessed using the ISI (primary outcome), and anxiety and depression using the GAD-7/PHQ-9 (secondary outcomes) at baseline, one week, one month and three-month follow-up. In people with acute insomnia, relative to baseline, there were significant reductions in ISI (dz = 1.17), GAD-7 (dz = .70) and PHQ-9 (dz = .60) scores at one week follow-up. ISI, GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores were significantly lower at all follow-up time points, relative to baseline. Subjective diary-derived sleep continuity was unaffected. No beneficial effects upon sleep or mood were observed in good sleepers. An online behavioural self-help intervention rapidly reduces acute insomnia severity (within one week), and benefits mood in people with acute insomnia. These beneficial effects are maintained up to three months later. Although the use of the intervention is feasible in good sleepers, their subjective sleep was unaffected.

A Study Planning Exercise Associated with Decreased Distraction Levels among Introductory Biology Students.

Students struggle to regulate their learning during independent study sessions. In this study, we ask whether an online behavioral intervention helped introductory students decrease distraction while studying. The intervention consisted of exam 1 reflection, exam 2 planning, and exam 2 reflection exercises. During planning, students formed a goal, mentally contrasted (MC) a positive outcome of their goal to their present reality, identified an obstacle, and formed an implementation intention (II) to overcome that obstacle. During reflection, students self-reported their distraction while studying. Distraction was the most frequently reported study obstacle, and decreasing distraction was the second most frequently reported study goal. While students who aimed to decrease distraction as a goal did not follow through, students who planned for distraction obstacles did follow through on decreasing distraction levels. Only about half of students generated an II that aligned with their study goal, which may provide one reason for the opposing follow-through of distraction framed as a goal versus as an obstacle. Lastly, we examined the specificity of students' II's and found no relationship with follow-through. Overall, MC with II holds promise as a self-regulatory technique to help introductory biology students change their behaviors while studying.

Physical activity self-efficacy online intervention for adults with obesity: protocol for a feasibility study

BackgroundEven without weight loss, adults with obesity can greatly benefit from regular physical activity. The Physical Activity Self-efficacy (PAS) intervention is an online behavioral intervention newly developed to promote physical activity in adults with obesity by providing capability-enhancing learning opportunities. The objective of this manuscript is to describe the protocol for a feasibility study designed to investigate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the PAS online intervention for adults with obesity recruited from a local weight management center in the United States of America (USA).MethodsThe study design is a prospective, double-blind, parallel-group individual randomized pilot trial. Thirty participants will be randomly assigned to the PAS group or usual care group to achieve a 1:1 group assignment. Recruitment of participants is scheduled to begin on 1 March 2024 at a local weight management center within a private healthcare system in the USA. There are six eligibility criteria for participation in this study (e.g., a body mass index ≥ 25.00 kg/m2). Eligibility verification and data collection will be conducted online. Three waves of data collection will take up to 14 weeks depending on participants’ progress in the study. The primary feasibility outcomes in the study will be: (a) participation rate, (b) engagement behavior, and (c) a preliminary effect size estimate for the effect of the PAS intervention on physical activity. Instruments designed to measure demographic information, anthropometric characteristics, self-efficacy, and acceptability will be included in the survey battery. A research-grade accelerometer will be used to measure free-living physical activity objectively. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistical models under an intention-to-treat approach.DiscussionResults are intended to inform the preparation of a future definitive randomized controlled trial.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05935111, registered 7 July 2023.

Online behavioural interventions for children and young people with eczema: a quantitative evaluation.

Two online behavioural interventions (one website for parents/carers of children with eczema; and one for young people with eczema) have been shown in randomised controlled trials to facilitate a sustained improvement in eczema severity. To describe intervention use and examine potential mediators of intervention outcomes and contextual factors that may influence intervention delivery and outcomes. Quantitative process evaluation in UK primary care. Parents/carers and young people were recruited through primary care. Intervention use was recorded and summarised descriptively. Logistic regression explored sociodemographic and other factors associated with intervention engagement. Mediation analysis investigated whether patient enablement (ability to understand and cope with health issues), treatment use, and barriers to adherence were mediators of intervention effect. Subgroup analysis compared intervention effects among pre-specified participant subsets. A total of 340 parents/carers and 337 young people were recruited. Most parents/carers (87%, n = 148/171) and young people (91%, n = 153/168) in the intervention group viewed the core introduction by 24 weeks. At 24 weeks, users had spent approximately 20 minutes on average on the interventions. Among parents/carers, greater intervention engagement was associated with higher education levels, uncertainty about carrying out treatments, and doubts about treatment efficacy at baseline. Among young people, higher intervention use was associated with higher baseline eczema severity. Patient enablement (the ability to understand and cope with health issues) accounted for approximately 30% of the intervention effect among parents/carers and 50% among young people. This study demonstrated that positive intervention outcomes depended on a modest time commitment from users. This provides further support that the wider implementation of Eczema Care Online is justified.

Cost-effectiveness of two online interventions supporting self-care for eczema for parents/carers and young people.

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of online behavioral interventions (EczemaCareOnline.org.uk) designed to support eczema self-care management for parents/carers and young people from an NHS perspective. Two within-trial economic evaluations, using regression-based approaches, adjusting for baseline and pre-specified confounder variables, were undertaken alongside two independent, pragmatic, parallel group, unmasked randomized controlled trials, recruiting through primary care. Trial 1 recruited 340 parents/carers of children aged 0-12years and Trial 2 337 young people aged 13-25years with eczema scored ≥ 5 on Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM). Participants were randomized (1:1) to online intervention plus usual care or usual care alone. Resource use, collected via medical notes review, was valued using published unit costs in UK £Sterling 2021. Quality-of-life was elicited using proxy CHU-9D in Trial 1 and self-report EQ-5D-5L in Trial 2. The intervention was dominant (cost saving and more effective) with a high probability of cost-effectiveness (> 68%) in most analyses. The exception was the complete case cost-utility analysis for Trial 1 (omitting participants with children aged < 2), with adjusted incremental cost savings of -£34.15 (95% CI - 104.54 to 36.24) and incremental QALYs of - 0.003 (95% CI - 0.021 to 0.015) producing an incremental cost per QALY of £12,466. In the secondary combined (Trials 1 and 2) cost-effectiveness analysis, the adjusted incremental cost was -£20.35 (95% CI - 55.41 to 14.70) with incremental success (≥ 2-point change on POEM) of 10.3% (95% CI 2.3-18.1%). The free at point of use online eczema self-management intervention was low cost to run and cost-effective. This trial was registered prospectively with the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN79282252). URL www.EczemaCareOnline.org.uk .

Paradata: Measuring Engagement in Digital HIV Interventions for Sexual and Gender Minorities.

The goal of this review was to examine online engagement using paradata (i.e., intervention usage metrics) as part of the reporting of online behavioral HIV prevention and care interventions' findings. We underscore the importance of these data in examining intervention engagement and effectiveness. We focused on studies indexed in PubMed and published between April 1, 2017, and June 30, 2023, that reported the development and testing of online behavioral interventions for HIV prevention and/or care. Of the 689 extracted citations, 19 met the study criteria and provided engagement data - only six studies tested the association between engagement and intervention outcomes. Of these, four studies found a positive association between participants' engagement and improvements in HIV-related outcomes. Increasing attention is being paid to the collection and reporting of paradata within HIV online behavioral interventions. While the current evidence suggests a dose-response relationship due to user engagement on HIV outcomes, greater efforts to systematically collect, report, and analyze paradata are warranted.

Use of the 2021 UK Medical Research Council guidance to refine the Women's Wellness with Type 2 Diabetes Programme: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundThe Women's Wellness with Type 2 Diabetes Programme (WWDP) is an online behavioural intervention for midlife women living with type 2 diabetes. The gender-specific intervention fosters self-efficacy, encouraging positive wellbeing behaviours to enhance diabetes and menopause outcomes. In 2016, We co-led a feasibility trial and process evaluation with 70 women aged 45–50 years from the UK and Australia. The intervention comprised an e-book, a website, and nurse consultations. The WWDP seemed to improved diabetes distress, self-efficacy, and menopausal symptoms, but with impactful, costly, diabetes nurse input, compromising feasibility and delivery by the NHS. We report WWDP refinement using the 2021 Medical Research Council (MRC) framework for complex interventions to optimise future implementation. MethodsIntervention refinement was guided by six core MRC elements of context, programme theory, stakeholder engagement, key uncertainties, intervention refinement, and economic considerations. Critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative feasibility data, informed by self-efficacy theory, provided a deeper understanding of how the intervention was used. Eight PPI consultations took place between Sept 1, 2021, and Dec 31, 2022, with three women from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and three female diabetes professionals to strengthen the e-book and methods of support for women undertaking the programme. FindingsContext was improved by the feasibility study and the PPI consultations, making the e-book relevant to UK health care. Understanding that self-efficacy was supported through primary use of peer group, and goal setting components supported the existing programme theory. Stakeholder engagement shaped the structure of the online peer support group. The feasibility study revealed uncertainties around goal settings. These uncertainties were addressed by introducing individualised goals focusing on aspects like medication adherence. The nurse support in the intervention was replaced with peer support, which might lead to greater economic feasibility of the programme. An optimised website and individualised goal setting underpin the WWDP. InterpretationThe MRC Framework provides intervention refinement structure, allowing adaptive adjustments based on emerging evidence, feedback, and contextual nuances. Limitations exist. Intervention refinements, including peer support, might affect adherence and unexpected interactions. New components could influence long-term efficacy. FundingTurkish Ministry of National Education.

Feasibility of Health and Fitness Data Collection in Online Behavioral Intervention of Elderly

Abstract The global increase in life expectancy has led to a growing elderly population, which necessitates novel strategies to promote healthy ageing and maintain optimal quality of life. Lifestyle coaching has emerged as a promising intervention to address these challenges by offering tailored guidance and support for seniors to make sustainable lifestyle changes. This study investigates the feasibility of collecting health and fitness data reported by the elderly population participating in an online behavioural intervention. We recruited 60 community-dwelling elderly individuals between the ages of 55-80 (including both men and women) for a 14-week online intervention promoting healthy lifestyles using coaching principles. The main criteria for inclusion were a diagnosis of arterial hypertension with or without medication and/or overweight or obesity as defined by BMI. We collected health-related data (arterial blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, quality of life using EQ-5D-5L questionnaire) and fitness-related data (30-second chair test, 2-minute step test). All data were self-recorded by the participants and reported via an online system with the help of a health coach. Forty-seven participants were able to complete the entire 14-week intervention. The initial data set resulted in only 51% (24 out of 47) of the participants having reported the full dataset. We then used written and spoken reminders to notify participants to submit the collected data, which brought the percentage up to 70% (33 out of 47). The main obstacle in health and fitness-related data collection was the forgetfulness of participants to do the self-reported measurements and tests. Among other factors affecting the amount of collected data, we experienced a lack of understanding of the process of the fitness tests, as well as a low questionnaire completion ratio. Almost 80% of participants managed to report all of the health-related data which was also considered the least complicated to collect. Key messages • Elderly people with higher cardiovascular risk are able to self-report health and fitness data in online behavioral intervention but thorough guidance and reminders need to be applied. • Elderly people are willing to participate on the online lifestyle behavioural interventions.

Development of an online intervention for the Rehabilitation Exercise and psycholoGical support After covid-19 InfectioN (REGAIN) trial.

Up to half of people hospitalised with COVID-19 report diverse and persistent symptoms affecting quality of life for months and sometimes years after discharge (long-COVID). We describe the development of an online group exercise and behavioural support intervention for people who continue to experience such physical and/or emotional health problems more than three months after hospital discharge. Intervention development was informed by the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions. Our multidisciplinary team of academics, clinicians, and people with long-COVID, had collective expertise in the development and testing of complex interventions. We integrated a bio-psycho-social model of care drawing on rehabilitation literature for long-term health conditions and experiences from our pre-pilot study. Multiple stakeholder meetings were held to refine the intervention which was designed to be deliverable within the UK National Health Service. We adhere to TIDieR guidance for transparent and explicit reporting of telehealth interventions. The final REGAIN online exercise and behavioural support intervention consisted of an initial 1:1 consultation with a trained practitioner, followed by eight online group exercise, and six group support, sessions delivered over eight weeks. Participants could also access an online library of on-demand exercise and support videos. The final REGAIN intervention, combining exercise and behavioural support, is fully manualised with clear pathways to delivery and implementation. It is currently being tested in a randomised controlled trial. The intervention, developed with extensive patient and stakeholder engagement, could be incorporated into existing NHS rehabilitation programmes, should it prove to be clinically and cost-effective for people with long-COVID. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 11466448: Rehabilitation exercise and psychological support after COVID-19 infection: REGAIN.

Can running-related injuries be prevented through an online behavioural intervention in adult novice runners? Results of a randomised controlled trial

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of the Runfitcheck on time until the onset of a new running-related injury (RRI) among adult novice runners.MethodsA three-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted over 7...

The role of perceived health in retention disparity: A HIV-testing-related behavioral intervention among African American and Latinx men who have sex with men in the United States

Retention in healthcare and health behavior remains a critical issue, contributing to inequitable distribution of intervention benefits. In diseases such as HIV, where half of the new infections occur among racial and sexual minorities, it is important that interventions do not enlarge pre-existing health disparities. To effectively combat this public health issue, it is crucial that we quantify the magnitude of racial/ethnic disparity in retention. Further, there is a need to identify mediating factors to this relationship to inform equitable intervention design. In the present study, we assess the racial/ethnic disparity in retention in a peer-led online behavioral intervention to increase HIV self-testing behavior and identify explanatory factors. The research used data collected from the Harnessing Online Peer Education (HOPE) HIV Study that included 899 primarily African American and Latinx men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Results show that African American participants had higher lost-to-follow-up rates at 12-week follow-up compared to Latinx participants (11.1% and 5.8% respectively, Odds Ratio = 2.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.12 – 4.11, p = 0.02), which is substantially mediated by participants’ self-rated health score (14.1% of the variation in the African American v.s. Latinx difference in lost-follow-up, p = 0.006). Thus, how MSM perceive their health may play an important role in their retention in HIV-related behavioral intervention programs and its racial/ethnic disparity.

Evaluating interventions to reduce behaviour associated with HCV reinfection in men who have sex with men: study protocol for a non-blinded, phase 2, randomised trial

BackgroundAs highly effective therapy against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is available with rapid uptake, there is newfound optimism for HCV elimination. Nevertheless, certain key populations have a high risk of HCV reinfection, in particular men who have sex with men (MSM) in Western European countries. Modelling data indicate that HCV elimination will not be feasible without reduction in risk behaviour, thus supporting the need for effective interventions aimed at reducing risk behaviour and preventing reinfections in MSM.MethodsThe ICECREAM study is an international, multi-centred, phase 2, 3-arm randomised trial comparing run-in and intervention periods enrolling MSM with a history of a cured or spontaneously cleared HCV infection. Individuals are followed in routine care for 6 months (i.e. run-in period) and then randomly allocated (1:1:1) to one of the following: a tailored, interactive online risk-reduction behavioural intervention, a validated home-based HCV-RNA self-sampling test service using dried blood spots, or a combination of both. After randomisation, individuals are followed every 6 months until 18 months (i.e. intervention period). Interventions are delivered in addition to standard of care. Online questionnaire measuring risk behaviour over the past 6 months is administered at every visit. The primary outcome is the proportion at risk of HCV infection during run-in versus intervention periods assessed by using the HCV-MOSAIC risk score. The risk score consists of six self-reported HCV-related risk behaviours. Secondary outcomes include incidence of HCV reinfection, changes in the individual risk behaviour items and changes in sexual well-being since changes in sexual behaviour may have an impact on sexual experience. Two hundred forty-six MSM aged 18 years or older will be invited to participate.DiscussionThe ICECREAM study is a trial aimed at establishing interventions that could effectively decrease the incidence of HCV re-infection in MSM with a previous HCV infection. By offering an online behavioural risk-reduction intervention and HCV-RNA self-sampling, both of which are aimed to influence risk behaviour, we are able to provide products to at-risk MSM that could further reduce population-level HCV incidence and ultimately help reach HCV micro-elimination.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04156945. Registered on November 8, 2019

Changing Agendas on Sleep, Treatment and Learning in Epilepsy (CASTLE) Sleep-E: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial comparing an online behavioural sleep intervention with standard care in children with Rolandic epilepsy

IntroductionSleep and epilepsy have an established bidirectional relationship yet only one randomised controlled clinical trial has assessed the effectiveness of behavioural sleep interventions for children with epilepsy. The intervention was...

Development of an online intervention for the Rehabilitation Exercise and psycholoGical support After covid-19 InfectioN (REGAIN) trial

Background Up to half of people hospitalised with COVID-19 report diverse and persistent symptoms affecting quality of life for months and sometimes years after discharge (long-COVID). We describe the development of an online group exercise and behavioural support intervention for people who continue to experience such physical and/or emotional health problems more than three months after hospital discharge. Methods Intervention development was informed by the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions. Our multidisciplinary team of academics, clinicians, and people with long-COVID, had collective expertise in the development and testing of complex interventions. We integrated a bio-psycho-social model of care drawing on rehabilitation literature for long-term health conditions and experiences from our pre-pilot study. Multiple stakeholder meetings were held to refine the intervention which was designed to be deliverable within the UK National Health Service. We adhere to TIDieR guidance for transparent and explicit reporting of telehealth interventions. Results The final REGAIN online exercise and behavioural support intervention consisted of an initial 1:1 consultation with a trained practitioner, followed by eight online group exercise, and six group support, sessions delivered over eight weeks. Participants could also access an online library of on-demand exercise and support videos. Conclusions The final REGAIN intervention, combining exercise and behavioural support, is fully manualised with clear pathways to delivery and implementation. It is currently being tested in a randomised controlled trial. The intervention, developed with extensive patient and stakeholder engagement, could be incorporated into existing NHS rehabilitation programmes, should it prove to be clinically and cost-effective for people with long-COVID. Trial registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 11466448: Rehabilitation exercise and psychological support after COVID-19 infection: REGAIN.

Stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: How can the COVID-19 pandemic inform our understanding and treatment of acute insomnia?

Stress and sleep are very closely linked, and stressful life events can trigger acute insomnia. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is highly likely to represent one such stressful life event. Indeed, a wide range of cross-sectional studies demonstrate that the pandemic is associated with poor sleep and sleep disturbances. Given the high economic and health burden of insomnia disorder, strategies that can prevent and treat acute insomnia, and also prevent the transition from acute insomnia to insomnia disorder, are necessary. This narrative review outlines why the COVID-19 pandemic is a stressful life event, and why activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as a biological marker of psychological stress, is likely to result in acute insomnia. Further, this review outlines how sleep disturbances might arise as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and why simultaneous hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis measurement can inform the pathogenesis of acute insomnia. In particular, we focus on the cortisol awakening response as a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, as cortisol is the end-product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. From a research perspective, future opportunities include identifying individuals, or particular occupational or societal groups (e.g. frontline health staff), who are at high risk of developing acute insomnia, and intervening. From an acute insomnia treatment perspective, priorities include testing large-scale online behavioural interventions; examining if reducing the impact of stress is effective and, finally, assessing whether "sleep vaccination" can maintain good sleep health by preventing the occurrence of acute insomnia, by preventing the transition from acute insomnia to insomnia disorder.

Eczema Care Online behavioural interventions to support self-care for children and young people: two independent, pragmatic, randomised controlled trials

ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of two online behavioural interventions, one for parents and carers and one for young people, to support eczema self-management.DesignTwo independent, pragmatic, parallel group, unmasked, randomised controlled...

'Eczema shouldn't control you; you should control eczema': qualitative process evaluation of online behavioural interventions to support young people and parents/carers of children with eczema.

There is a lack of well-conducted randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of theory-based online interventions for eczema. To address these deficiencies, we previously developed and demonstrated the effectiveness of two online behavioural interventions: Eczema Care Online for parents/carers of children with eczema, and Eczema Care Online for young people with eczema. To explore the views and experiences of people who have used the Eczema Care Online interventions to provide insights into how the interventions worked and identify contextual factors that may impede users' engagement with the interventions. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 parents/carers of children with eczema and 17 young people with eczema. Participants were purposively sampled from two randomized controlled trials of the interventions and recruited from GP surgeries in England. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis, and intervention modifications were identified using the person-based approach table of changes method. Both young people and parents/carers found the interventions easy to use, relatable and trustworthy, and perceived that they helped them to manage their eczema, thus suggesting that Eczema Care Online may be acceptable to its target groups. Our analysis suggested that the interventions may reduce eczema severity by facilitating empowerment among its users, specifically through improved understanding of, and confidence in, eczema management, reduced treatment concerns, and improved treatment adherence and management of irritants/triggers. Reading about the experiences of others with eczema helped people to feel 'normal' and less alone. Some (mainly young people) expressed firmly held negative beliefs about topical corticosteroids, views that were not influenced by the intervention. Minor improvements to the design and navigation of the Eczema Care Online interventions and content changes were identified and made, ready for wider implementation. People with eczema and their families can benefit from reliable information, specifically information on the best and safest ways to use their eczema treatments early in their eczema journey. Together, our findings from this study and the corresponding trials suggest wider implementation of Eczema Care Online (EczemaCareOnline.org.uk) is justified.

Factors influencing the efficacy of an online behavioural intervention for children and young people with tics: Process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial

The Online Remote Behavioural Intervention for Tics (ORBIT) trial found that an internet-delivered, therapist-supported, and parent-assisted Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) intervention reduced tic severity and improved clinical outcomes. This process evaluation aimed to explore mechanisms of impact and factors influencing efficacy. Participants were 112 children with a tic disorder and their parents randomised to the active intervention arm of the ORBIT trial. Child engagement was assessed by usage metrics and parent engagement by chapter completion. Experiences of the digital intervention were explored by semi-structured interviews. Outcomes (3-months post randomisation) were change in tic severity and overall clinical improvement. Tic severity reduced from baseline to 3-month follow-up and 36% were rated as much improved clinically. Greater tic severity at baseline predicted reduction in tic severity. Parental engagement was the only independent predictor of clinical improvement. There were no statistically significant mediators or moderators of the relationship between level of child engagement and outcome. From the qualitative findings, child participants appreciated working together with parents on the intervention and participants found the intervention engaging. ORBIT may be an effective and acceptable intervention for children and young people with tic disorders, with parental engagement being a key factor in successful outcomes.

Pragmatic implementation of a fully automated online obesity treatment in primary care.

Behavioral obesity treatment implemented in primary care is efficacious but typically involves face-to-face or phone contact. This study evaluated enrollment, engagement, and 12-week weight loss in a fully automated online behavioral weight-loss intervention implemented pragmatically in a primary care network. As part of routine primary care, providers and nurse care managers offered a no-cost online obesity treatment program to 1,721 patients. Of these, 721 consented and were eligible (aged 18-75 yearswith BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and internet access), and 464 started the program. The program included 12 weekly online lessons, a self-monitoring platform, and automated feedback. More than one-quarter of patients who were offered the program (26%) initiated treatment. In intent-to-treat analyses using all data available, mean 12-week weight change was -5.10% (SE=0.21). Patients who submitted their weights on all 12 weeks (37% of 464) lost an estimated 7.2% body weight versus 3.4% in those submitting less frequently. This fully automated online program, implemented into the routine workflow of a primary care setting without any human counseling or researcher involvement, produced clinically meaningful short-term weight loss. Greater program engagement was associated with greater weight loss; efforts are needed to understand barriers to engagement.