Patient Motivations and Goals for Bariatric Surgery: A Mixed Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Bariatric Surgery
• Patient-Centered Care
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Traditional bariatric surgery research emphasizes weight loss outcomes.
• Patients report diverse lifestyle and interpersonal motivations and goals for surgery.
• Understanding these varied goals is crucial for improving patient care and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize bariatric patient motivations and goals for surgery.
• To assess the alignment between patient motivations and surgical goals.
• To investigate gender-specific differences in motivations and goals.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review at a US teaching hospital.
• Analysis of patient responses to open-ended questions on motivations and goals.
• Mixed-methods approach using content analysis and statistical tests (chi-squared, t-tests) for gender comparisons.

Main Results:

• Eight overarching themes identified for motivations and goals.
• General health and quality of life were the most common motivations.
• Improving health/longevity and mobility were the most common goals.
• Over 25% of patients had no overlap between motivations and goals.
• Minimal gender differences observed in reported motivations/goals.

Conclusions:

• Bariatric surgery goals extend beyond weight loss.
• Aligning patient goals with established goal-setting theories can enhance care.
• Focusing on a broader spectrum of patient aspirations is vital for successful surgical outcomes.