A Qualitative Assessment of Preoperative Educational Needs Among Adolescent Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patients...

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is a safe and effective treatment option for adolescents with severe obesity; however, some health care providers are hesitant to refer adolescents due to concerns regarding decisional capacity. Structured educational materials provided prior to MBS have the potential to improve informed decision-making. The objective of this study was to characterize topics that may not be adequately addressed in existing structured educational materials for adolescents seeking MBS.

Semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with adolescents who had undergone MBS and with parents or guardians of postoperative adolescents. Thematic saturation was assessed by considering properties from a base number of interviews (n = 7) and a run length (n = 2). Interrater reliability was established at the theme level. An adolescent citizen scientist was approached to provide feedback on the codebook.

In total, six adolescents and six parents or guardians diverse in race and ethnicity were interviewed. For adolescents, the average age at the time of the procedure was 16 years (standard deviation = 2.37). Most participants (n = 5) underwent vertical sleeve gastrectomy. Five key themes were identified that provide additional information on the preferred format of delivery (interactive materials, teen-specific materials) and topics that may not be adequately addressed (physical aspects of surgery, psychosocial well-being, and specific resources for parents or guardians).

This current study identified gaps in the format of delivery and topics covered in structured preoperative educational materials. Future work should determine if these gaps are widespread across accredited MBS centers. Furthermore, the development of additional materials should be considered.