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To the Referring Physician: The Program

Disease Center Approach

The Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Weight Center is a multidisciplinary specialty practice devoted to the evaluation and care of adults and children with obesity and weight disorders. We view obesity as a complex disease, with multiple causes and clinical manifestations. We direct our consultation toward determining the specific causes and complications of obesity in each of our patients. We develop individualized treatment recommendations based on these evaluations, recognizing that in most cases, weight disorders respond best to an integrated, multidisciplinary approach.

Patient Consultation

All patients referred by primary care or other treating physicians receive separate consultations with members of a multidisciplinary team that includes a physician, nutritionist, and mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, or licensed social worker). The team then meets to share their impressions and develop treatment recommendations. The results of this comprehensive consultation are communicated to the referring physician, along with recommendations for specific medical, surgical, nutritional or adjunctive therapies. Options may include enrollment of the patient in one of the medical or surgical management programs at the MGH Weight Center. Decisions about patient care are then made collaboratively among the patient, referring physician and MGH Weight Center team.

Weight Loss Programs

Personalized, coordinated, multidisciplinary weight loss programs are developed for each patient treated in the MGH Weight Center. Each of our programs is divided into discrete phases, reflecting the differing goals and requirements of patients at different stages of treatment. Depending on the needs of each individual, our treatment includes some combination of the following interventions:

• pharmacological therapies
• nutrition, diet and exercise counseling
• lifestyle modification counseling
• standard and minimally invasive weight loss surgery
• complementary therapies
• innovative therapeutic combinations

Patient education is a critical component of our treatment programs. Whenever possible, we include the patient's family in our treatment plan, and we maintain close communication among the patient, referring physician and MGH Weight Center team.

Costs

To the maximum degree possible, medical costs associated with consultation and treatment at the MGH Weight Center are borne by third party payers. Health insurance plans rarely cover the full costs associated with multidisciplinary care, and patients are required to bear a portion of these costs directly. To limit the financial burden on our patients, all of our consultation and treatment programs are divided into modules of three months or less.

Research Programs

Complementing our specialty practice, professionals in the MGH Weight Center are pursuing basic and clinical research aimed at understanding the biological and psychosocial basis of weight disorders and more effective means of treatment. Our scientific programs keep the MGH Weight Center on the cutting edge of technology in this field. All patients who receive clinical care in the center will be given the benefit of our ongoing research efforts and have the opportunity to participate directly in trials of new and promising treatments. The MGH Weight Center is committed to discovering the many causes of obesity and contributing to its cure. Patients who receive care in the center benefit from:

• expertise of a diverse team of experienced weight loss specialists
• comprehensive evaluation of the causes, complications and risks of their weight disorders
• compassionate, coordinated, individualized and medically-supervised weight loss programs
• access to advanced technology and the latest pharmacological interventions
• judicious use of standard and minimally-invasive weight loss surgery
• state-of-the-art treatment for the medical complications of weight disorders
• family-based programs for children and adults
• opportunity to participate in our active clinical research programs
• close communication between the MGH Weight Center and the referring physician
• ongoing support and education to optimize long-term success

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