Understanding risk decision making around bariatric surgery
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Adult bariatric surgery understanding the risk: a retrospective study of decision-making surrounding patient and doctors understanding of the risks from weight reducing surgery.
IRAS ID
131874
Contact name
Darren Hird
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Research summary
A review of available literature suggests a lack of patient engagement in respect of understanding the risks surrounding weight-reducing (bariatric) surgery. Patients offered bariatric surgery are at an increased risk of anaesthetic and surgical complications because of their overall health presentation. The most common adverse events from this type of surgery are death, heart attack, breathing problems, blood clots and infection. Health professionals have a legal and professional obligation to provide sufficient information that facilitates an informed consent process; one that includes the risks of complications or adverse events. Equally important, is the patients need to be able to engage with doctors and understand the operative and anaesthetic risks identified from their presenting health state and bariatric intervention.
This study has three parts; commencing with a pre-study audit of the clinical records of all patients that had bariatric surgery in an NHS bariatric unit, since it opened on the 1st June 2011 until a study cut off date of the 1st June 2013. An adapted tool will be used to examine patients’ clinical records and identify what risks were highlighted, any influencing known risk factors, the bariatric treatment provided and also evidence that patients were informed of specific surgical or anaesthetic risks. In the second part of the study, a random selection of patients that had bariatric surgery and all the doctors involved in providing such a service will complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire contains 25 questions on a “likert scale“; focused on the patient/doctor decision-making and informed consent process in respect of operative and anaesthetic risk. The same questionnaire is repeated three months later. In the final part of the study, a further randomised sample of all the patients that completed a questionnaire and all the doctors in the bariatric team will attend a semi-structured interview with the chief investigator.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/YH/0422
Date of REC Opinion
28 Jan 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion