title: Ascertaining the Place of Social Media and Technology for Bariatric Patient Support: What Do Allied Health Practitioners Think?
abstract: There is an increasing presence of patient-led social media, mobile apps and patient support technology, but little is known about the role of these in the support of bariatric surgery patients in the UK. This study aimed to seek the views of allied health professionals (AHPs) working in bariatric surgical teams to understand their current perceptions of the role of social media, mobile apps and patient-support technology within bariatric surgery in the UK.
  
  
  
  A confidential, printed survey was distributed to the AHPs at the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS) 7th Annual Scientific Conference in January 2016. An email to AHPs who did not attend the conference was sent requesting voluntary participation in the same survey online through Survey Monkey® within 2 weeks of the conference.
  
  
  
  A total of 95 responses were received, which was a 71% response rate (n = 134). Responses were from nurses (34%, n = 46), dietitians (32%, n = 32), psychologists (16%, n = 12) and 1 nutritionist, 1 physiotherapist, 1 patient advocate, 1 surgeon and 9 respondents did not fill in their title.
  
  
  
  The use of social media and mobile apps by patients is increasing, with AHPs concerned about misinformation; advice may differ from what is given in clinic. Technologies, e.g. telehealth and videoconferencing are not widely used in bariatric surgery in the UK. AHPs are unclear about the role of technologies for bariatric surgical patient support. Further discussions are needed to understand the potential of technology with AHPs supporting/facilitating patients as this becomes more commonplace.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK. yitka.graham@sunderland.ac.uk.|Department of General Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK. yitka.graham@sunderland.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Yitka N H
authors.initials: YNH
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.|Department of General Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Kamal K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Mahawar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.|Department of General Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Small
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attala
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woodcock
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ling
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D063731:Mobile Applications; D009765:Obesity / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D010465:Perception; D061108:Social Media; D012944:Social Support; D017216:Telemedicine; D006113:United Kingdom; D049269:Videoconferencing
keywords: Bariatric surgery; Mobile apps; Patient support; Social media; Technology