Quality standard

Quality statement 5: Publishing performance data on local lifestyle weight management programmes

Quality statement 5: Publishing performance data on local lifestyle weight management programmes

Quality statement

Adults can access data on attendance, outcomes and views of participants and staff from locally commissioned lifestyle weight management programmes.

Rationale

It is important that providers of lifestyle weight management programmes measure outcomes of the programmes and make the results available. This will allow commissioners and the general public to monitor and evaluate particular programmes to assess whether they are meeting their objectives and providing value for money. This ensures that any issues with the programmes are identified as early as possible, so that the programmes can be improved, leading to better outcomes for adults using the programmes. It will also help adults to select lifestyle weight management programmes.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

a) Evidence that commissioners and providers of lifestyle weight management programmes jointly agree the key performance indicators to be collected for monitoring and evaluation.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Evidence that commissioners and providers of lifestyle weight management programmes have used data from monitoring and evaluation to amend and improve programmes.

Data source: Local data collection.

Process

a) Proportion of adults recruited to a locally commissioned lifestyle weight management programme who have information on attendance, outcomes and views of participants and staff collected at recruitment and completion.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who have information on attendance, outcomes and views of participants and staff collected at recruitment and completion.

Denominator – the number of adults recruited to a locally commissioned lifestyle weight management programme.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Proportion of adults who complete a lifestyle weight management programme who have data on outcomes collected 6 months after completion of the programme.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who have data on outcomes collected 6 months after completion of the programme.

Denominator – the number of adults who complete a lifestyle weight management programme.

Data source: Local data collection.

c) Proportion of adults who complete a lifestyle weight management programme who have data on outcomes collected 1 year after completion of the programme.

Numerator – the number in the denominator who have data on outcomes collected 1 year after completion of the programme.

Denominator – the number of adults who complete a lifestyle weight management programme.

Data source: Local data collection.

Outcome

Improved performance of local lifestyle weight management programmes.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as local authorities andproviders oflifestyle weight management programmes) ensure that they publish data on attendance, outcomes and views of participants and staff. Providers of lifestyle weight management programmes should use the data to monitor and evaluate their programmes. Data sharing should be in line with the Department of Health's information governance and data protection requirements.

Healthcare professionals (such as GPs, dietitians and practice nurses) consider data on attendance, outcomes and views of participants and staff for local lifestyle weight management programmes before offering information or a referral.

Commissioners agree key performance indicators for lifestyle weight management programmes providers, and ensure the data are published. Commissioners use the data on attendance, outcomes and views of participants and staff to improve local provision of lifestyle weight management services.

Adults can find published information about their local lifestyle weight management programmes, including how many people enrol in them, how much weight people lose and how good people think the programme is.

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Lifestyle weight management programmes

Lifestyle weight management programmes for overweight or obese adults are multicomponent programmes that aim to reduce a person's energy intake and help them to be more physically active by changing their behaviour and working towards achievable goals. They should last for at least 3 months, with sessions that are offered at least weekly or fortnightly and include a 'weigh‑in' at each session. They may include weight management programmes, courses or clubs that:

  • accept adults through self‑referral or referral from a health or social care practitioner

  • are provided by the public, private or voluntary sector

  • are based in the community, workplaces, primary care or online.

Although local definitions vary, these are usually called tier 2 services and form part of a comprehensive approach to preventing and treating obesity. [Adapted from NICE's guideline on weight management: lifestyle services for overweight or obese adults, recommendation 9, glossary and expert opinion]

Data on attendance, outcomes and views of participants and staff

Providers of lifestyle weight management programmes should use the standard evaluation framework for weight management programmes and validated tools to monitor interventions.

As a minimum, information on participants at the end of the programme should be collected and assessed, in line with the Department of Health's Best practice criteria for weight management services. Details of how each participant's weight has changed 12 months after the programme is completed should also be collected. [NICE's guideline on weight management: lifestyle services for overweight or obese adults, recommendation 17]

Equality and diversity considerations

When monitoring and evaluating lifestyle weight management programmes, information also needs to be collected on the programmes' suitability for minority groups, for example groups with different family origins or religions and groups with disabilities. Reasonable adaptations should be made to the programmes to make them accessible to these groups and to assess their impact on health inequalities.