Applying the Principles of Professionalism to Preventing, Treating, and Identifying Obesity
Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: In response to the burgeoning obesity epidemic, a number of studies over the past decade have assessed residents' training needs to determine how best to improve the care of patients who are obese.The studies have described obesity-related training and curricula offered in residency programs and assessed residents' perceived skills and competence.Studies have also reported on residents' attitudes toward obesity treatment in general and the patients who need it.Here, we seek to summarize the results of these needs assessments and, in so doing, find that many of the identified needs can be constructively viewed through the broader lens of the core skills and competencies of professionalism.The literature and our own work in this area support the view that residents need further training to obtain basic, obesity-specific medical knowledge and counseling skills.We believe, however, that full integration and sustained implementation of best practices in preventing, assessing, and treating obesity may require a shift from defining obesity topics narrowly to exploring professionalism in general and the professional challenges of treating obesity.While it has not been easy to come to agreement about the definition of professionalism, recent work has gone a long way in clarifying its domains or categories [1-3].On the basis of this work, we focus on the following aspects of professionalism: commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities; sensitivity to a diverse patient population; commitment to selfawareness, life-long learning, self-improvement, and excellence; and ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and coordinated practice teams and settings [1,4,5].It is our view that training efforts should apply these aspects of professionalism to the effective prevention, identification, and treatment of obesity. Carrying Out Professional ResponsibilitiesA number of studies have shown that physicians, including residents, do not provide obesity counseling as often as they should [6][7][8][9].One reason for this may be physicians' attitudes about the value of obesity interventions and treatment.Residents, faculty, and practicing physicians appear to be pessimistic about patients' prospects for responding effectively to the complex challenges of obesity.In one survey, close to a third of internal medicine residents felt that treating obesity was futile [10].In another, half or more residents and faculty agreed that their patients would not lose a significant amount of weight and reported that treating patients who are obese is very frustrating and that they have not been successful in doing so [11].These beliefs about the potential effectiveness of obesity prevention and treatment
Source: The AMA Journal of Ethic
Authors: Colleen Gillespie, Melanie Jay
Institution: New York University
Language: English
Topic: Obesity and Health Practices
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2410144923