Trial reportAnnals of family medicine
A medical assistant-based program to promote healthy behaviors in primary care.
Trial report in Annals of family medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Strategies to improve smoking cessation rates in primary care.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- [Effectiveness of training programs on alcohol consumption in the Primary Care setting: Systematic review].Atencion primaria · 2019Pooled it
- Interventions aimed at increasing the level of physical activity by including organised follow-up: a systematic review of effect.BMC family practice · 2014Pooled it
- Pilot trial of a licensed practical nurse intervention for hypertension and depression.Family medicine · 2013Trial
- Impact of peer health coaching on glycemic control in low-income patients with diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.Annals of family medicineTrial
- Exploring diverse applications of team-based care in preventive medicine: a scoping review.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Mapping policies, regulations, and practice supports for medical office assistants in primary care: a scoping review.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Qualitative evaluation of the implementation and future sustainability of an e-referral system for smoking cessation at a US NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center: lessons learned.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Article
- Stop smoking advice by practice assistants after routine cervical screening in general practice: A qualitative exploration of potential barriers and enablers.The European journal of general practice · 2022Article
- An Expanded Role for the Medical Assistant in Primary Care: Evaluating a Training Pilot.The Permanente journal · 2021Article
- Using a Frontline Staff Intervention to Improve Cervical Cancer Screening in a Large Academic Internal Medicine Clinic.Journal of general internal medicine · 2021Article
- Assessing Unwanted Variations in Rheumatology Clinic Previsit Rooming.Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases · 2019Article
- Exercise is Medicine as a Vital Sign: Challenges and Opportunities.Translational journal of the American College of Sports Medicine · 2019Article
- Health Literacy Estimation of English and Spanish Language Caregivers.Health literacy research and practice · 2018Article
- Adaptation of an evidence-based intervention to promote colorectal cancer screening: a quasi-experimental study.Implementation science : IS · 2014Article
- Mental health communications skills training for medical assistants in pediatric primary care.The journal of behavioral health services & research · 2013Article
- Electronic health record impact on work burden in small, unaffiliated, community-based primary care practices.Journal of general internal medicine · 2013Article
- Integrating an internet-mediated walking program into family medicine clinical practice: a pilot feasibility study.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2011Article
- Frontline experiences of a practice redesign to improve self-management of obesity in safety net clinics.The Journal of ambulatory care managementArticle
- Coordination of health behavior counseling in primary care.Annals of family medicineArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeMost primary care patients have at least 1 major behavioral risk: smoking, risky drinking, low physical activity, or unhealthy diet. We studied the effectiveness of a medical assistant-based program to identify and refer patients with risk behaviors to appropriate interventions.
methodsWe undertook a randomized control trial in a practice-based research network. The trial included 864 adult patients from 6 primary care practices. Medical assistants screened patients for 4 risk behaviors and applied behavior-specific algorithms to link patients with interventions. Primary outcomes were improved risk behaviors on standardized assessments. Secondary outcomes included participation in a behavioral intervention and the program's effect on the medical assistants' workflow and job satisfaction.
resultsFollow-up data were available for 55% of participants at a mean of 12 months. The medical assistant referral arm referred a greater proportion of patients than did usual care (67.4 vs 21.8%; P <.001) but did not achieve a higher success rate for improved behavioral outcomes (21.7 vs 16.9%; P=0.19). Qualitative interviews found both individual medical assistant and organizational effects on program adoption.
conclusionEngaging more primary care team members to address risk behaviors improved referral rates. More extensive medical assistant training, changes in practice culture, and sustained behavioral interventions will be necessary to improve risk behavior outcomes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.