A suite of mobile health (mHealth) services has been designed, implemented and evaluated as an adjunct to routine care in post-bariatric surgery patients to support behaviour change and improve long term health outcomes. Positive project outcomes have resulted in these mHealth services be delivered as the business as usual model in the Statewide Bariatric Service, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) moving forward.
Enhancing obesity management using mobile Health
Initiative Type
Model of Care
Status
Sustained
Added
Last updated
Summary
Key dates
Jul 2019
Jun 2021
Implementation sites
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Herston
Partnerships
Griffith University
Aim
To design, implement and evaluate a mHealth model of care for bariatric surgery patients to support behaviour change and improve long term health outcomes.
Benefits
- supports behaviour change through targeted educational information to improve long term outcomes
- is NOT resource intensive
- has the ability to ensure out of town patients receive equitable care
- creates service efficiencies
Background
The Statewide Bariatric Service offers bariatric surgery to eligible patients from across Queensland. However, due to capacity limitations the service can only provide post-operative care for 12 months post-surgery. To achieve long term health outcomes and maintain weight loss, it is important to address underlying behaviour change issues. mHealth services have the ability to address this through providing more frequent, sustained and targeted health information to patients with minimal resources