Lifestyle Medicine Performance Measures: An Expert Consensus Statement Defining Metrics to Identify Remission or Long-Term Progress Following Lifestyle Medicine Treatment

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this expert consensus process was to define performance measures that can be used to document remission or long-term progress following lifestyle medicine (LM) treatment. Methods: Expert panel members with experience in intensive, therapeutic lifestyle change (ITLC) developed a list of performance measures for key disease states, using an established process for developing consensus statements adapted for the topic. Proposed performance measures were assessed for consensus using a modified Delphi process. Results: After a series of meetings and an iterative Delphi process of voting and revision, a final set of 32 performance measures achieved consensus. These were grouped in 10 domains of diseases, conditions, or risk factors, including (1) Cardiac function, (2) Cardiac risk factors, (3) Cardiac medications and procedures, (4) Patient-centered cardiac health, (5) Hypertension, (6) Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, (7) Metabolic syndrome, (8) Inflammatory conditions, (9) Inflammatory condition patient-centered measures, and (10) Chronic kidney disease. Conclusion: These measures compose a set of performance standards that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of LM treatment for these conditions.