PATHWAYS: Treatment experiences, changing circumstances and support needs among adults using GLP-1s and GIP/GLP-1s for weight management

Why is the research needed?

GLP-1s and GIP/GLP-1s are medicines used to help people manage their weight. People’s experiences can differ, including how they access treatment, how it fits into everyday life and what support they receive.

Our earlier AMPLIFY study identified concerns about support, treatment costs and stopping these medicines. This project will build on that work to understand how people’s experiences and support needs change over time, and how their personal circumstances affect treatment.

What are we doing?

We will explore the experiences of adults using GLP-1s and GIP/GLP-1s for weight management. We want to understand how people manage treatment in everyday life, what support they need and how their experiences and needs change over time, including when they continue, change or stop treatment.

We will use questionnaires, interviews and focus groups to hear from people with different backgrounds and circumstances, including those experiencing financial difficulties. Following people over time will help us understand what changes, why it changes and what support would be useful.

How are we working with communities, services and organisations?

People with experience of using GLP-1s and GIP/GLP-1s will help shape the research questions, recruitment materials and approach. They will also help us understand the findings and identify priorities for improving support.

We will seek opportunities to involve relevant community organisations and services, helping us include different perspectives and share findings with those who could use them.

What will the impact and benefits of this research be?

The research will help us understand where support meets people’s needs, where gaps remain and how these needs change during and after treatment with GLP-1s and GIP/GLP-1s. It will also explore circumstances that make treatment easier or harder to manage.

The findings could help services and organisations improve information and support, making care more responsive to people’s needs and circumstances.

What do we have planned for knowledge mobilisation and implementation?

We will work with people with experience of using GLP-1s and GIP/GLP-1s to produce an accessible summary and identify practical messages for services. We plan to share findings with participants, community groups, healthcare professionals and research networks.

These discussions will help identify opportunities to improve support and guide future research. We also plan to share findings through publications and presentations.

Related papers, outputs and resources

Project outputs will be added as they become available.

The project is supported by the Applied Research Collaboration East of England Research Inclusion Fund.