Michelle Alencar, PhD: Taking Obesity Medicine Virtual

While many experts have been pushing for greater integration of telehealth into medical practices, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has thrust that integration at a rate few, if any, could have ever imagined.

In addition to forcing practices to go virtual, the outbreak has also forced medical organizations to take their planned meetings and conferences virtual, as well. Among those organizations is the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA), who took their spring meeting—Obesity Medicine 2020 virtual.

With a theme of “Treat Obesity First”, the goal of the conference was to outline and educate clinicians on best strategies for successful obesity management in real-world settings. Held from May 15-17, the conference featured insights on topics ranging from nutrition to pharmacological interventions and even telemedicine.

Among the more than 3 dozen sessions presented as part of the Obesity Medicine 2020 Virtual Conference was a joint session from Jeremy McConnell, MD, and Michelle Alencar, PhD, discussing the topic of taking your practice virtual.

“It was nice to be able to bring our key points to a virtual platform for providers to make it applicable for them,” said Alencar, chief scientific officer of inHealth Medical Services Inc., in an interview with HCPLive®.

Alencar and McConnell, chief medical officer of Physicians-NOW in Florida, sought to outline trends, research, and application of taking a physical practice virtual in a manner beneficial to patients and clinicians.

To offer further insight, Alencar took part in an HCPLive House Call focused around the subject of taking practices virtual.