Improving evaluation of growth and lifestyle counseling

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A major part of primary care is the evaluation of growth, recognition of overweight, and implementation of appropriate lifestyle counseling to promote improved health. In this issue of The Journal, Ariza et al evaluated a practice-directed intervention, which included tools, education, and facilitation by a practice-change leadership team. A pre- and post-intervention analysis showed that documentation of growth interpretation increased from 32% to 87%. Counseling on lifestyle factors did not appear to change, but was already occurring in 80-90% of visits. This redesign of practice may be useful to improve appropriate interpretation and documentation of growth.