547-P: Harnessing Continuing Education to Identify Drivers of Obesity Medication Use among Primary Care Providers

Introduction and Objective: Obesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes (T2D), with weight loss linked to improved glycemic control and reduced disease burden. Obesity medications (OMs) are available to reduce weight and risk associated with T2D, yet misinformation and lack of confidence hinder their use. Methods: In September 2024, Vindico provided the 12th Annual Obesity Forum®, a 2-day continuing education (CE) webinar series for primary care providers (PCPs) managing patients with overweight or obesity. Knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, practice patterns, and impact were assessed pre- and post-education, with behavior changes measured at 30-day follow-up. Results: At baseline, among the 223 PCPs who completed the education, only 20% were aware of long-term data for OMs like semaglutide and tirzepatide. Encouragingly, compared to 2023, PCPs are 10% more likely to recognize the need for long-term use of OMs, and 82% were prepared to do so post-education. Only 30% of PCPs were familiar with guidelines for use of OMs in adolescents, yet 60% would recommend OMs for an eligible adolescent. Importantly, PCPs who are comfortable in using OMs are 7 times more likely to do so. Sources of discomfort include lack of familiarity with safety data, evolving guidelines, and counseling patients who have been influenced by misinformation on social media. At 30-day follow-up, 75% of PCPs were more aware of and using the latest safety and efficacy data when making management decisions, and 50% felt more empowered to discuss, and were discussing social media facts and misconceptions, with patients. Conclusion: Comfort in using OMs among PCPs has increased since 2022, which is driving increased usage. While PCPs continue to face practice challenges regarding rapidly evolving evidence and guidelines as well as combating misinformation on social media about obesity and its management, continuing education remains an effective tool to promote utilization of the latest evidence-based care. Disclosure B. Hegde: None. H. Collier: None. J. Frederick: None. S. Johnson: None. K. Robinson: None. Funding This activity was supported by an educational grant from Lilly.