Bariatric surgery in Australia: who, why and how?
A review of published reports was conducted to identify gaps in the research regarding bariatric surgery. Much of the research that has been conducted is clinical outcome based; however, little research has been conducted in many key areas. Data on the demographics of the bariatric surgery group are patchy at best. The role of best practice and evidence-based medicine in bariatric surgery seems to be poorly understood, and equity issues and the role of clinical pathways in bariatric surgery need to be clarified. Significant gaps were identified in the published reports regarding pathways to bariatric surgery and multidisciplinary team use. Additionally, much of the published report and research data were from US studies, as few Australian studies have been conducted. Further research and policy and practice developments in bariatric surgery are needed, especially with regard to the Australian context.
Department of Rural and Indigenous Health, School of Rural Health, Monash Univrsity, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. simon.kitto@med.monash.edu.au
Simon C
SC
Kitto
David
D
Borradale
Carol A
CA
Jeffrey
Julian A
JA
Smith
Elmer V
EV
Villanueva
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035843:Biomedical Research; D019091:Critical Pathways; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012923:Social Class