HopSCOTCH
Around 200,000 Australian children are now obese – making obesity one of today’s biggest public health issues. But most of these children are not receiving care that would help them achieve a healthier weight. This could change dramatically if General Practitioners (GPs) were supported to work effectively with specialist services.
HopSCOTCH is a randomised trial that aims to:
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develop, implement and trial an innovative shared-care approach to managing obesity in 3-10 year old children
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evaluate the feasibility, outcomes and costs of this shared-care approach
The shared-care approach
Children randomised to the intervention arm of the trial will attend the Royal Children's Hospital for a specialist multidisciplinary obesity session, followed by supported general practice care for 12 months.
HopSCOTCH is running from mid-2008 until the end of 2011. It has three stages:
Stage 1: The shared-care approach is developed and piloted. Shared obesity paediatric management software is customised to support the approach. This includes support for decision-making, materials, and data collection.
Stage 2: Children aged between 3 and 10 years are weighed and measured at the medical practices of the participating Melbourne GPs'.
Stage 3: The shared-care approach is trialled with obese children identified from Stage 2. By 12 months, we hope to see lasting reductions in body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat, and waist girth, without the need for frequent hospital visits.
This project is funded by the Australian NHMRC and administered though the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute. It is a collaboration between the MCRI, the Royal Children’s Hospital, The University of Melbourne (General Practice Department), The University of Adelaide (School of Medicine), Deakin University (Health Economics Unit), and KnowSys.
| Methodology: | Randomised Controlled Trial Australian Clinical Trials Registry Number (ACTRN12608000055303) |
| Date: | Start: May 2008 Finish: End 2011 |
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Funding: |
NHMRC General Practice Clinical Research Program Grant |
| Contacts/Staff involved: |
Email us at: hop.scotch@mcri.edu.au
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