TABLE 2.
Clinical practice characteristics of American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) Diplomates
| ABOM Diplomates (n = 494) | |
|---|---|
| Patient panel attributes | |
| Patient age groups | |
| Adults only | 52.3% |
| Adults and children/adolescents | 44.0% |
| Children/adolescents only | 3.7% |
| Children/adolescents comprise majority (>50%) of patients | 8.7% |
| Comorbid conditions managed | |
| Diabetes mellitus | 89.5% |
| Hypertension | 86.4% |
| Hyperlipidemia | 86.2% |
| Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease | 81.6% |
| Obstructive sleep apnea | 78.1% |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease | 75.3% |
| Polycystic ovarian syndrome | 71.9% |
| Mood disorders | 71.5% |
| Binge eating disorder | 66.8% |
| Constipation | 64.4% |
| Chronic kidney disease | 59.7% |
| Night eating syndrome | 55.5% |
| Stress urinary incontinence | 38.7% |
| Infertility | 33.2% |
| Mean number of chronic conditions managed (SD) | 10.2 (4.6) |
| Clinic characteristics | |
| Mean number of half-day clinic sessions per week (SD) | 6.7 (SD 2.8) |
| Clinical sessions groups | |
| 1–2 sessions per week | 10.3% |
| 3–5 sessions per week | 21.7% |
| ≥6 sessions per week | 68.0% |
| Practice location | |
| Urban | 37.5% |
| Suburban | 41.5% |
| Rural | 11.3% |
| Multiple | 9.7% |
| Health system affiliation | 61.3% |
| Reimbursement model | |
| Fee-for-service only | 11.3% |
| Insurance and fee-for-service | 33.6% |
| Insurance only | 42.3% |
| Not disclosed/other | 12.8% |
| Interdisciplinary team modela | 57.3% |
| High intensity program offeredb | 18.8% |
| Clinical practice behaviours | |
| Guideline usage | |
| AHA/ACC/TOS | 30.8% |
| AACE/ACE | 33.4% |
| OMA | 65.6% |
| Endocrine Societyc | 31.6% |
| Any guideline usedd | 82.6% |
Abbreviations: AACE/ACE, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists/American College of Endocrinology; ABOM, American Board of Obesity Medicine; AHA/ACC/TOS, American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/The Obesity Society; OMA, Obesity Medicine Association.
Interdisciplinary team defined as a clinic with other healthcare professionals (eg, registered dietician, psychologist, exercise specialist) delivering care along with a physician.
High intensity defined as offering ≥ 2 sessions per month.
Pharmacologic Management of Obesity: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.
Physicians who endorsed use of any guideline for weight management, which included other guidelines, such as American Academy of Paediatrics.