ArticleFamily practice2021
Discussing weight loss opportunistically and effectively in family practice: a qualitative study of clinical interactions using conversation analysis in UK family practice.
Article in Family practice, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 15 papers, 2 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
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- The efficacy of interactive communication interventions for motivating blood donation: A systematic review.Vox sanguinis · 2026Pooled it
- Is behaviour change communication guidance for general practice healthcare professionals evidence based? A systematic review.BMC medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Trial
- Supporting professionals to talk about remission with people with type 2 diabetes: Using multi-methods to develop a communication guidance resource.PEC innovation · 2026Article
- Implementing a smoking cessation service in routine and manual workplaces: A qualitative service evaluation.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Article
- Tier 2 adult weight management services in the UK: A case study evaluation of local authority provision of targeted services for higher-risk groups in England.Clinical obesity · 2025Article
- The Basis of Patient Resistance to Opportunistic Discussions About Weight in Primary Care.Health communication · 2024Article
- Early versus late-onset of weight struggles among patients with obesity: Data from the ACTION-IO study.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2024Article
- What advice do general practitioners give to people living with obesity to lose weight? A qualitative content analysis of recorded interactions.Family practice · 2023Article
- A Qualitative Exploration of Patient and Staff Experiences of the Receipt and Delivery of Specialist Weight Management Services in the UK.The patient · 2023Article
- Influences on Patient Uptake of and Engagement With the National Health Service Digital Diabetes Prevention Programme: Qualitative Interview Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- GP delivered brief weight loss advice: associations between in-consultation behaviour change techniques and patient weight loss in recorded primary care discussions.Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2023Article
- Anticipated barriers and enablers to signing up for a weight management program after receiving an opportunistic referral from a general practitioner.Frontiers in public health · 2023Article
- Autonomy-supportive decision-making in maternity care during prenatal consultations: a qualitative interaction analysis.BMJ open · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundGPs are encouraged to make brief interventions to support weight loss, but they report concern about these conversations, stating that they need more details on what to say. Knowing how engage in these conversations could encourage GPs to deliver brief interventions for weight loss more frequently.
objectiveTo examine which specific words and phrases were successful in achieving conversational alignment and minimizing misunderstanding, contributing to effective interventions.
methodsA conversation analysis of English family practice patients participating in a trial of opportunistic weight-management interventions, which incorporated the offer of referral to community weight-management services (CWMS). Qualitative conversation analysis was applied to 246 consultation recordings to identify communication patterns, which contributed to clear, efficient interventions.
resultsAnalysis showed variation in how GPs delivered interventions. Some ways of talking created misunderstandings or misalignment, while others avoided these. There were five components of clear and efficient opportunistic weight-management referrals. These were (i) exemplifying CWMS with a recognizable brand name (ii) saying weight-management 'programme' or 'service', rather than 'group' or 'club' (iii) stating that the referral is 'free' early on (iv) saying the number CWMS visits available on referral (v) stating that the CWMS programme available was 'local'.
conclusionsWhen making a brief opportunistic intervention to support weight loss, clinicians can follow these five steps to create a smooth and efficient intervention. Knowing this may allay clinicians' fears about these consultations being awkward and improve adherence to guidelines.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.