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Programmed Shared Medical Appointments

Programmed Shared Medical Appointments (pSMA) are a practice revolution. pSMA allow you to consult in your own practice virtually (as telehealth) or face to face, with 8-12 patients sequentially, over an extended period of time and also deliver a range of facilitated, 5-7 session lifestyle modification programs developed by recognised experts. All programs are endorsed by the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM) which are aimed at improving health and managing specific conditions.

pSMA offer patients peer support, extended time with General Practitioners and their teams as well as improved health and self-management outcomes.

pSMA offers you a novel way to practise that, is not only very satisfying professionally, but also improves outcomes and efficiencies (pSMAs can be financially self- sustaining).

Lifestyle Management Program’s pSMA are turn-key packages. Licenses include a comprehensive resources kit to run facilitated patient programs in General Practice Clinics. Interactive, online or face to face (where indicated), staff training is included.

Programmed Shared Medical Appointments (Group Consultations) Virtual (Telehealth) – and or Face to Face

About Us

LMS offers a growing range of programs in lifestyle and environmentally-related chronic ailments for patients and medical practices throughout Australia. This includes current and future programs such as:

  • Weight Management
  • Managing Smoking
  • Prevent Diabetes
  • Stress, Anxiety and Depression
  • Chronic Pain Self-Management

About the Founders

Dr. Garry Egger

Dr. Garry Egger has qualifications in behavioural biology and epidemiology. He has worked in public, corporate and clinical health for over 4 decades. He is the author of 30 books (including five texts), nearly 200 peer-reviewed scientific and research articles, and numerous popular media articles on health and fitness. He is an Adjunct Professor of Health and Human Sciences at Southern Cross University and an Advisor to the World Health Organisation and several government and corporate bodies in chronic disease prevention. In the 1990s, Dr. Egger initiated the GutBusters men’s waist loss program, the first of its kind in the world. He started training programs for fitness leaders in Australia in 1982, was one of the initiators of the Australian Lifestyle Medicine Association (ALMA) in 2008. He now runs continuing professional development courses in Lifestyle Medicine for doctors and allied health professionals around Australia and the Pacific. Together with Professor John Stevens and Professor John Dixon from the Baker IDI, he began testing the idea of Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) in Australian Primary Care Centres in 2013 in order to increase efficiencies and outcomes in chronic disease management. Dr. Egger received an Order of Australia Medal for his services to medical education and health promotion in 2012. His recent interests and publications concern the links between lifestyle, obesity, chronic disease, climate change and economic growth.

Prof. John Stevens

Professor John Stevens is a health scientist and Associate Professor with Southern Cross University’s School of Health and Human Sciences. John also co-founded the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM). Having worked closely with the world’s leading scientists in the area of Lifestyle Medicine, John is one of Australia’s leading experts in illness prevention and chronic disease management. With over 30 years of experience in health practice, teaching, and research he now specialises in translating complex scientific information into easy to understand knowledge and easy to use skills. His current work focuses on making the science of weight loss and healthier life available and understandable for everyone to use to help make healthier and happier lives.

Allan Bolton

Allan Bolton is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Sports Scientist with post graduate qualifications in Diabetes Education. He has been helping people live healthy, happy lives through education for more than 3 decades, either directly, or by training health care professionals. Since 1990 he has made significant contributions to the Australian and International Health and Fitness Industries by developing formal accreditation course curriculums and associated education programs used in over 40 countries. He joined Dr Garry Egger to play an integral role in the development and delivery of the GutBusters Waist Loss Program for Men (related publication) and commenced a 20 year tenure as a Scientific Advisor to Weight Watchers Australasia. Allan was a two term Executive Board Member of the Australian Association for Exercise and Sport Science (AAESS) during its infancy, now known as Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) it has grown to be
the peak professional organisation representing more than 8,000 members including Accredited Exercise Physiologists, Accredited Exercise Scientists, Accredited Sports Scientists & Accredited High Performance Managers. Personally, Allan has lived successfully with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) for over 40 years during which exercise of all types has played an important role. He created the exT1D online education program to help others with T1D participate in regular physical activity with safety and confidence, as well as provide a professional development resource for diabetes health care professionals. A trial of the exT1D tool showed it reduced the number and duration of exercise-related periods of hypoglycaemia by 43% and 71% from baseline, respectively, after a 5 week intervention period. As well, it found confidence to prevent exercise-related glucose lowering was increased (P=0.039). In addition to the above, Allan brings a broad range of advanced IT skills to the table.
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS FROM THE TEAM
Weight Loss Research
Our program creators have been involved in weight loss and obesity related research and practice for over 25 years. This program distils much of what is known in the scientific literature, and makes it available and understandable for the people who need to use it in the real world.

What follows is a list of scientific publications by our program team, from research we have been involved in related to weight and obesity:

A List of References

  • Egger GE and Stevens JA. Gutbusters 3rd edition. Allen and Unwin Sydney 2016.
  • Egger G, Binns A, Rossner S. (Eds)Lifestyle Medicine: Managing disease of lifestyle in the 21st Century(2e) McGraw-Hill, Sydney, 2011
  • Egger G, Spark R, Donovan RJ. Health Promotion: Strategies and Methods. McGraw-Hill, Sydney, (4th Ed); 2013.
  • Egger G, Swinburn B. Planet Obesity: How we are eating ourselves and the planet to death. Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2011
  • Egger G, Swinburn B. Prevention in Adults. In: Bray G, Bouchard C, (Eds), Handbook of Obesity,: Volume 2: Clinical Applications. 4th Edition; NY; Marcel Dekker Inc (2014).
  • Swinburn B, Egger G Influence of obesity-producing environments In: Bray G, Bouchard C, (Eds),Handbook of Obesity,: Clinical Applications. 2nd Edition; NY; Marcel Dekker Inc (2012).
  • Egger G, and Stanton R. The GutBuster Waist Loss Guide for Men. Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 1993 (2nd Edition, 1998)
  • Dixon J, Egger G. A narrow view of optimal weight for health generates the obesity paradox. (Invited Editorial) Am J Clin Nutr (in press; 2014)
  • Egger G., Dixon J. Beyond obesity and lifestyle: A review of 21st Century chronic disease determinants. BioMed Res Int 2014, Article ID 731685, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/731685
  • Dixon JB, Egger G, Finkelstein EA, Kraj J, Lambert GW. “Obesity paradox” misunderstands the biology of optimal weight throughout the life cycle.Int J Obes 201415 April 2014; doi: 10.1038/ijo.2014.59
  • Egger G. Shining a ‘spotlight’ on obesity (Editorial). Obes Facts (Eur J Obes) 2012;5:288–292.

ABOUT ASLM

ASLM advocates for Lifestyle Medicine and provides representation, education, training and support for doctors, allied health practitioners, public health professionals, researchers, and educators in their practice of Lifestyle Medicine. ASLM is also an active member of a cohesive and collaborative global Lifestyle Medicine movement.

Contact John Stevens – info@lifestylemedicineprograms.com