Teen CHAT: Improving Physician Communication With Adolescents About Healthy Weight

The purpose of this study is to teach primary care physicians effective ways to counsel
overweight and obese adolescent patients to attain a healthy weight. Fifty physicians and up
to 660 adolescent patients from Duke University Health System (DUHS) Primary Care Clinics
will take part in this study.

Patients will be identified by research study staff and asked if they would be willing to
have their clinic visit audio recorded for research purposes. There are three phases of data
collection. First, baseline encounters (n=200, 4 per physician) are audio recorded. Then,
half of the physicians will be randomized to receive a tailored web-based intervention
containing information about evidence-based techniques to help adolescents attain a healthy
weight. A new set of 200 encounters (4 per physician) will be audio recorded. Then, all
physicians will receive a Summary Report that outlines the adolescent's high risk behaviors
that contribute to weight (sweetened beverages, fast food, breakfast, physical activity,
screen time, and sleep) and a new set of 200 encounters will be audio recorded.

Data will be collected by trained data technicians, in-person and over the phone. Data is
collected on laptop computers and then downloaded into password protected electronic files
on a secure network server. All participants (adolescent patients and physicians) will be
assigned a code number that is the sole identifier on all study data forms. Prior to and
after coding, digital files will be stored in password protected directories to which only
the data technicians and project manager have access. The web-based intervention will be
password protected.