Healthcare professionals Clinical treatment protocol Patient Suitability / Patient Readiness

Patient Suitability / Patient Readiness

Patient Readiness

For a patient to succeed with the OPTIFAST VLCD Program, it is crucial to assess their readiness to undertake the necessary behaviour changes required for effective weight management. After physically assessing the patient and presenting the VLED program outline, it may be helpful to address then how important it is for the person to make the changes required as well as assess their level of confidence in making those changes.

If the patient's level of importance is low, then assisting the patient in identifying benefits or intrinsic motivators should be discussed. Also, if the patient's level of confidence is low then reducing the magnitude of the goals may be helpful, for example, aim at losing 5kg rather than 20kg, or starting with four weeks on the program rather than 12 weeks.

Alternatively, you can start a patient on the Active 2 or Active 1 Level if you feel that this would be more suitable for them. Work through and identify any barriers that may inhibit making the necessary lifestyle changes.

Once you can confirm that the patient is ready to move ahead with the program, then it is important to create some specific goals and an action plan. A stepwise approach is outlined below with some sample questions that can be used. 
 
Step 1 – Assess the level of importance

  1.  How important do you think it is for you to make changes (i.e. lose weight) at the moment, given all the other priorities currently in your life? 

 

Step 2 – Assess the level of confidence

  1.  How confident are you that you can change your diet and increase your physical activity to lose weight and improve your health?
  2.  Do you feel you can succeed in losing weight right now? 

 

Step 3 – Help the patient to identify benefits or intrinsic motivators

  1.  If you made some changes, what benefits do you think you would gain?
  2.  If you made changes, how would your life be different from what it is today?
  3.  How would you like things to turn out for you in 2 years?
  4.  How would losing weight impact the things or people that are important to you? 

 
Step 4 - Identify obstacles or barriers

  1.  Are there any stressful events in your life right now that might get in the way of you making the necessary changes?
  2.  Have you tried to lose weight before? What got in the way of you achieving or maintaining your goals?
  3.  What do you find most challenging about losing weight?
  4.  What would be not so good about making the changes you are thinking about making?
  5.  Are there people who can support you to lose weight? Do you think they will help you in your efforts? 
  6.  How can I help you get past some of the difficulties you are experiencing?
  7.  If you were to decide to change, what would you have to do to make this happen?

Step 5 – Confirm the level of readiness 

  1.  On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is definitely not ready to change, and 10 is definitely ready to change, what number best reflects how willing you are at present to lose weight?
  2.  How do you feel about making the necessary changes?


Step 6 – Set specific goals
Generating some specific goals is an integral part of the process with which the patient may need some assistance. Goals may include one or a combination of the following:

  1.  Medical or clinical targets – a certain amount of weight loss, reducing blood pressure, reducing waist circumference, lowering BMI.
  2.  Specific health goals – exercising four times per week, drinking 2 litres of water per day.
  3.  Motivation goals – fitting into old clothes or a particular dress, not having to take hypoglycaemic medication any longer, being able to run a 5km fun run in 6 months. 

Step 7 – Create an action plan
An action plan should include as much detail as necessary for the client to feel confident that they can achieve the desired task. Some things to consider when creating an action plan are:

  1.  All the steps needed to overcome barriers and achieve a personal goal.
  2.  When and how to follow the program.
  3.  Prompts to aid memory where necessary.
  4.  Support mechanisms.
  5.  Contingency plans.
  6.  Tracking and monitoring strategies.
  7.  Review details.

Help your client determine an achievable weight loss goal by calculating their ideal body weight.  Learn more about how to calculate this here.

  • Overview of Very Low Energy Diets

    Very Low Energy Diets (VLED), also known as Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD) have been shown to be very effective in the management of obesity, with weekly weight losses averaging approximately 1.0 -2.5kg per week, providing greater initial weight loss than other forms of calorie restriction.

  • Expected rate of weight loss on Intensive Level

    During the Intensive Level of the OPTIFAST Program, weight loss averages 1.0 to 2.5kg/week with an average total loss of 20kg after 12 to 16 weeks.

  • Long term weight loss goals

    It is often mentioned in the lay press and amongst healthcare professionals that "the faster you lose weight, the quicker you regain it", yet there is little evidence to support this assumption and in fact the opposite may be true.

  • Mechanics of a VLED

    A VLED works by restricting total energy intake to approximately 800 calories (3300kJ) or less per day. Weight loss with a VLED is achieved by restriction of both carbohydrate and total energy intake. This enables the body to use its body fat stores for energy via a metabolic process called ketosis.

  • Patient suitability

    For a patient to succeed with the OPTIFAST VLCD Program, it is important to assess their readiness to undertake the necessary behaviour changes required for effective weight management.

  • Calculating ideal body weight

    Ideal body weight is calculated to help determine an appropriate weight for height or to determine a long term weight loss goal. We recommend that you use the ‘Adjusted Ideal Body Weight’ calculation.

  • Calculating protein requirements

    OPTIFAST VLCD is formulated to contain adequate high quality protein in sufficient quantities for nitrogen sparing and to preserve lean body mass.

  • Medical monitoring

    As a healthcare professional, you can tailor the program to suit your patient's specific needs.

  • Long-term weight management with the OPTIFAST VLCD Program

    Research has shown that having the support and guidance of a healthcare professional will make the program more successful for your patients.

  • Bariatric surgery and the OPTIFAST VLCD Program

    Surgical intervention by way of bariatric surgery can result in substantial weight loss that is sustained over the long term when combined with education, ongoing monitoring and patient support.

  • Diabetes and the OPTIFAST VLCD Program

    Most overweight and obese patients with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are eligible to use OPTIFAST VLCD as part of an overall management program that emphasises the importance of ongoing weight maintenance.

  • References