Retention and Weight Outcomes after Transitioning an Intensive Behavioral Weight Management Program from an In‐person to a Virtual Format

BackgroundVirtual care offers many potential advantages over traditional in-person care for people with chronic diseases including obesity. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual care was not broadly implemented because of regulatory, legal, and reimbursement barriers. ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of the transition from an entirely in-person format to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic on retention and weight reduction in a 2-year, structured, intensive behavioral weight management program for people with moderate to severe obesity. MethodsRetrospective cohort study of 1313 program participants stratified according to the phase of the program during which the transition to virtual visits occurred. ResultsAge, sex, and baseline weight were independent predictors of program retention. Transition to virtual visits was associated with greater 2-year program retention. Retention but not mode of program delivery was associated with reduction in weight at 2-year. ConclusionsTransition from in-person to virtual program delivery improved retention and by doing so, indirectly improved weight loss at 2 years. Telemedicine has the potential to overcome many of the limitations associated with traditional in-person weight loss interventions. Clinical Trial RegistrationThis research was reviewed and approved by the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board and registered on (NCT02043457). All participants provided written informed consent.