Welcoming Feedback: Using Family Experience to Design a Pediatric Weight Management Program

Abstract

Objective: To describe an approach using principles of experience-based codesign (EBCD) and quality improvement (QI) to integrate family experience into the development of a pediatric weight management program. Methods: Clinic development occurred in 3 plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycles that were driven by family experience data. During these cycles, families were engaged in feedback sessions that informed program development. Staff reflected on feedback and designed and tested changes that would improve service delivery. Results: The first PDSA cycle resulted in the fundamental program parameters and a formalized patient engagement strategy. The second cycle focused on pilot programming, and feedback was used to develop the structured group program. During the third cycle, feedback sessions were embedded into the structured group programs. Program changes included focusing on health rather than weight-based outcomes, adjusting the timing of program offerings, increasing experiential learning opportunities, and providing more opportunities for peer support. Conclusions: Both EBCD and QI methodologies informed the process of family engagement and program development. This pragmatic approach might be useful for the development of other family-centered pediatric programs.

A multi-center, randomized, 12-month, parallel-group, feasibility study to assess the acceptability and preliminary impact of family navigation plus usual care versus usual care on attrition in managing pediatric obesity: a study protocol

“…With co-design, we increase intervention relevance and appropriateness, bringing together people who possess experiential knowledge (children, caregivers) with people who have expert knowledge (clinicians, researchers); the two knowledge systems enrich each other. Our team members have substantial experience in co-designing and refining health services and interventions in partnership with stakeholders [67][68][69][70][71].…”

Consider the context: An analysis of personal social networks of caregivers of children participating in a paediatric weight management program

“…1,2 KidFit provides family based, inter-professional services including medical, mental health, dietetics and activity therapy. Since KidFit's launch, the development and implementation of programming has incorporated co-design activities with children and families through engagement and feedback, 3 and provides support through individualized care and group-based educational sessions using iterative program design cycles. 4 One of the key learnings generated through the co-design process was participants feeling negatively about clinicians using language such as obese to describe their bodies.…”

“…[5][6][7] KidFit has therefore incorporated Health at Every Size principles into practices such as size acceptance and body diversity, intuitive and pleasurable eating and joyful movement. 8 Guided by the knowledge and experiences of participating families who were engaged throughout the co-design of KidFit, 3,4 we will use the term "living in larger bodies" throughout this manuscript instead of obesity.…”