Practical Health Behavior Modules for medical providers to use with pediatric patients and their families.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN AN INFO SESSION AND LEARN MORE

What is Touchpoints?

Touchpoints is a program of practical health behavior modules intended for use by primary care providers in the management of children with overweight or obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics 2023 “Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity” states that Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment (IHBLT) should be offered to anyone 6 years old and older (and in 2 to 5-year-old patients at the discretion of the physician). The program can also be used with any children with health behaviors like poor nutrition or with a family history that puts them at risk for metabolic dysfunction.

Touchpoints is part of the Dr. Yum Partner Program. When you sign up for Touchpoints you also get a number of benefits of being a Dr. Yum Project Partner, including downloadable posters, patient handouts on nutrition and early development and so much more. 

How is Touchpoints Used?

These Touchpoint Modules are intended to provide education on a series of health behavior topics. Each module has handouts and/or videos that are easy for primary care providers to use in the office or by telehealth to help initiate positive lifestyle changes with a family-centered approach. Much of the content has been developed by pediatrician Dr. Nimali Fernando and the multidisciplinary team at the Dr. Yum Project and has been refined over years of use with pediatric patients and families. It utilizes family-tested recipes, posts, website tools, handouts, videos, and more.

How does it work?

  • Once you identify your patients that would benefit from the program they are given a nutrition intake packet including a questionnaire. Answers to the questionnaire will help you and your patient’s family decide on an individualized program of health behavior modules. 
  • As a Dr. Yum Project Partner you will have access to the Touchpoints Modules which have scripts for providers to follow for each visit, with patient handouts, videos and and family work. 
  • Each of these modules can be done as a billable visit either in person or by telehealth, depending on you and your patient’s preference. Two weeks later you will schedule a Touchpoint date to see how they are doing with their family work. For instance, you might see the patient around the first day of each month to complete a module, and around the 15th of each month, you or your staff will check in by phone, email, portal, or app to see how they are doing on their family work.

The Overall Goal of Touchpoints is to improve health outcomes by guiding children and families to:

  • Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole foods
  • Prepare more nutritionally balanced meals
  • Increase awareness of ingredients in commercially available foods
  • Increase mindfulness and connection around family meals
  • Increase opportunities for joyful movement
  • Address other health behaviors like sleep

Why should providers consider Touchpoints for their practice?

  • The Touchpoints Program, provided by the Dr. Yum Project, is designed to help children and their families learn new health habits which bring about feelings of accomplishment, confidence, and a stronger, healthier body using a positive, weight-neutral approach. 

  • The Touchpoints health behavior modules can be used as a comprehensive, individualized program over 3-12 months or separately for focused education on a number of topics like sleep, picky eating, and choosing healthy snacks. 

  • The Touchpoints program brings Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Management right to your office NOW, saving patients long waits for programs in Tertiary Care Centers. 

  • This program creates billable monthly visits with your patients, making Health Behavior and Lifestyle management accessible to your patients, creating revenue for your practice, and helping your patients achieve better health!

  • Joining the Touchpoints Program comes with the benefit of being a Dr. Yum Project Partner Provider. Your name will be listed with other partners on the Dr. Yum Project website and gives you access to other patients materials which you can find in your Partner Dashboard. 

  • Your purchase of Touchpoints helps the Dr. Yum Project, a 501c3 nonprofit, continue to create free content which helps further our mission to help families and communities overcome the barriers to eating well.