Effectiveness of a telephone-based weight management program in overweight or obese patients with lower back pain waiting for orthopedic consultation.

Patients will be assessed and provided advice/education by a trained physiotherapist and undertake a telephone-based healthy lifestyle coaching program, the ‘Get Healthy Service’ (GHS). The GHS involves 10 individually tailored coaching calls delivered over a 6 month period by a qualified health professional and aims to support participants to make positive lifestyle behaviour changes regarding healthy eating, physical activity and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. The frequency of coaching calls is individually tailored to each participant, however calls are generally provided on a tapered schedule, with a higher intensity of calls made within the first 3 months of the program. Participants also receive an information booklet that provides additional information to support them during the program to achieve their goals, a coaching journal to record goals and actions, and access to online services to help track their progress. To ensure participants are suitable for the ongoing coaching calls a number of screening and assessment questions are asked during the initial telephone call.