FAQ

PATHWEIGH is not a weight loss program per se and does not come with a curriculum or set number of sessions. It is the reclamation of weight management into mainstream medicine with assistance to help you guide care for your own patients. It is a system designed within EPIC to help primary care providers and their teams deliver weight management to their own patients. Weight management requires a long-term ongoing relationship between patients and their providers that can change as needed over time.

The tools within EPIC are only available at the following UCHealth primary care clinics:

As of March 17, 2021:

• CU FAM MED DEPOT HILL
• AMC SENIORS OP
• LNTREE WISH
• LNTREE PRIM CARE OP
• LOWRY IM OP
• BROOMFLD PRIM CARE OP
• GRNWD VLG PRIM CARE OP
• STONEGT PRIM CARE OP
• UPTOWN PRIM CARE OP
• YOSEMITE PRIM CARE OP
• GRMC INT MED OP
• N LVLD FAM MED OP
• ORCHARD INTRNL MED OP
• SNOMESA INTRNL MED OP
• STRLNG FAM MED OP
• WINDSOR FAM MED OP
• ASPEN CK PRIM CARE OP
• CRIPPLE CK PRIM CARE
• FONTANERO PRIM CARE
• SCARB PRIM CARE OP

As of March 17, 2022: 

• CU DENVER INTRNL MED
• AFWILLIAMS FAM MED OP
• AMC WISH OP
• LONGMT FAM MED OP
• LONGMT INTRNL MED OP
• ARVADA WEST PRIM CARE
• CASTL RK FAM MED OP
• HILLTOP PRIM CARE OP
• STEELE PRIM CARE OP
• OLD GMC MIDTWN INTRNL MED OP
• GRMC FAM MED OP
• GRMC INT MED OP
• ESTES PK PRIM CARE OP
• MCC INTRNL MED OP
• PROSPCT INTRNL MED OP
• BRIARGT PRIM CARE OP
• FALCON PRIM CARE OP
• MONUMT PRIM CARE OP
• PPRH FAM MED OP 

As of March 17, 2023:

• CU FAM MED CENTENNIAL
• CU FAM MED LANDMARK
• AMC INTRNL MED OP
• BOULDR FAM MED OP
• FIRESTNE FAM MED OP
• HIGHLND RNCH PRIM CARE
• LITTLETN FAM MED OP
• QUINCY PRIM CARE OP
• STRLING RNCH PRIM CARE
• CRAIG PRIM CARE OP
• FMC FAM MED OP
• SNOWMESA MED PEDS OP
• BAGGS PRIM CARE OP
• TIMNATH PRIM CARE
• GVMC PRIM CARE OP
• CHAP HILL PRIM CARE OP
• PPMP INTRNL MED OP
• ROCKRMN PRIM CARE OP
• CMS PRIMARY CARE OP

Yes, PATHWEIGH is intended to be disseminated to other primary care locations – both domestic and abroad – where EPIC is used.  It has been trademarked (U.S. serial #88636163 & 88636176) such that data use agreements can be drafted ensuring flow of the data back to the University of Colorado for iteration and redistribution.

No. Where available, use of PATHWEIGH is completely optional and at the discretion and preference of the provider and team.

No. You can use different parts of PATHWEIGH to suit your needs and individual practice style. We hope that PATHWEIGH provides a comprehensive set of tools so that all aspects of weight management are easier to deliver.

Yes and no. The weight prioritized visit types became available when PATHWEIGH was deployed as a tool to help set aside a specific visit type for addressing weight. Use of this visit type deploys questionnaires that can be incorporated into notes and used with PATHWEIGH, but you don’t have to use all of the PATHWEIGH tools with a weight prioritized visit.

You can tell them in an existing visit, reach out to them separately, or place a placard where patients can see it at check-in. Weight prioritized visits can be conducted in-person or via telehealth for initial and follow-up visits.

Initial weight prioritized visits need to be scheduled within the clinic; follow-up visits can be scheduled through the patient line. Patients need to ask for an in-person or telehealth and for an initial or follow-up. The weight prioritized visit time can be set individually within the visit type.

The weight management questionnaire (initial or follow-up) is sent to patients through My Health Connection 72h prior to their visit.  The questionnaire is intended to be completed upon e-check-in prior to the visit.

Medical Assistant’s can determine quickly if a weight management questionnaire was completed prior or at the time of a weight-prioritized visit.  Locate the “preview” view on the schedule tab.  A variety of report views can be displayed for a particular patient that is selected on the schedule.  Using the wrench add “Questionnaires”.  Select “Questionnaires” at any time when a patient is selected on the schedule and all related questionnaires completed by the patient will be displayed, including the PATHWEIGH initial and follow-up questionnaires.  If either is not completed, it will not be listed.   

It is recommended to review this area for all future weight-prioritized visits and encourage patients to e-checkin using their My Health Connection and complete the weight-prioritized visits.

PATHWEIGH Questionnaire Video

Initial Weight Management Visit

Follow-up Weight Management Visit

At the time of a weight-prioritized visit, disappearing help text will appear in any note template used to document the patient’s visit. The text is intended to lead assist the provider through the visit by consolidating tools. These include a review of the patient weight management questionnaire and/or the option to import the patient’s answers into your note, a synopsis of their weight trajectory over time, a link to the AgileMD anti-obesity medication algorithm, patient instructions for recommendation on their diet, physical activity and behavior change, as well as how to bill. Clinical resources and a link to the PATHWEIGH website are also included. Providers can use some, all or none of this disappearing text. Orders for medications and referrals need to be placed outside the text. If a provider would like to use this disappearing help text but the patient has not scheduled a weight-prioritized visit, use the wrench in the top upper right hand corner and type “WPVNOTE” to add a speed button that imports the text into any note.

PATHWEIGH Epic Tools Video

Most people struggle with their weight and most would like help from their medical provider.  Start by asking if they would like to talk about it and get help.  Make sure the language is sensitive and person-centered such as, “Mr./Ms. X, could we talk about your weight today?” Additional resources for bringing up weight and related topics with patients can be found here.

Not really.  Literature best supports the use of low carb diets (<25% daily calories as carbs), but the right diet is one that the patient will do and will maintain long-term. See the section on resources for helping patients.

Successful weight losers who maintain their weight loss report 45-60 min/day of aerobic activity.  Achieving and sustaining that amount of activity should be a goal patients work toward. See the section on resources for helping patients.

Many things can make lifestyle changes difficult for individuals, be it stress, insomnia, anxiety, depression, or just that making these changes is hard. If your patient is struggling to be successful on their own, they may benefit from meeting with behavioral health.

Chronic weight management frequently requires long-term (indefinite duration) medication use. See section on resources for helping patients.

Older medications are FDA-approved for short-term use (12-weeks) because older clinical trials were short term.  The FDA and DEA have publicly stated they will not prosecute providers that prescribe drugs beyond the duration they were studied.

No.  The FDA conducts post-marketing surveillance for all approved drugs and makes their findings public as soon as safety signals appear.

Refer to a dietitian if your patient has diabetes and cites lack of knowledge about healthy eating as a reason they have not been able to lose weight.  Dietitian time is usually not covered by insurance for people who do not have diabetes (not even in prediabetes), but some RDs provide low cost options for patients who are motivated to learn and can pay out of pocket.  Refer to endocrinology for patients who desire weight loss and who are suspected of having thyroid disease, Cushing’s syndrome, a genetic cause of obesity, complicated menopause, or diabetes requiring insulin management.  Consider referral to bariatrics for patients with BMI>40 or >35 kg/m2 with weight-related comorbidities.  Do not refer patients to bariatric surgery who do not want it.  However, a referral only obligates patients to gain information about various procedures. They can decide after referral whether bariatric surgery is right for them.

Ask them what they feel they can do.  Let them know they are in charge, and the plan can change according to their comfort level and success with weight loss.