Emma Rose McGlone1, Laura R Wingfield2, Aruna Munasinghe3, Rachel L Batterham4, Marcus Reddy5, Omar A Khan6. 1. Department of Metabolic and Investigative Medicine, Commonwealth building, Hammersmith Hospital campus, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. 2. John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford, United Kingdom. 3. Department of Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery, St George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom. 4. Centre for Obesity Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom; University College London Hospitals Bariatric Centre for Weight Management and Metabolic Surgery, Ground Floor West Wing, 250 Euston Road, London, United Kingdom; National Institute of Health Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom. 5. Department of Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery, St George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Department of Upper GI and Bariatrics, Hebei Medical University, Hebei Sheng, China. 6. Department of Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery, St George's Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: omar.khan7000@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Primary care practitioners (PCP) are the "gate-keepers" for publicly funded weight loss surgery (WLS) in the United Kingdom, but their attitude toward WLS has not been studied to date. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to investigate opinions and experience of PCPs regarding WLS in the United Kingdom. SETTING: PCPs from 3 publicly funded primary care consortiums from distinct geographic areas within the United Kingdom were surveyed. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey approach was used to assess PCP attitude to WLS surgery. A questionnaire was sent electronically to PCPs, designed to assess PCP demographic, experience, knowledge, and attitude regarding obesity and WLS. For the purposes of analysis, PCPs were divided into junior and senior based on duration of practice. RESULTS: Of PCPs, 35 completed and returned the questionnaire. Although PCPs stated that approximately 30% of their patients were obese, 17 (49%) had made not a single referral for WLS in the previous 12 months. PCPs overestimated early WLS mortality rate more than 10-fold and 23 (66%) did not feel confident providing care to patients post-WLS. Junior PCPs were significantly more likely to feel that WLS should not be publicly funded (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a prejudice against WLS amongst PCPs in England, particularly among junior doctors.
BACKGROUND: Primary care practitioners (PCP) are the "gate-keepers" for publicly funded weight loss surgery (WLS) in the United Kingdom, but their attitude toward WLS has not been studied to date. OBJECTIVE: This pilot study aimed to investigate opinions and experience of PCPs regarding WLS in the United Kingdom. SETTING: PCPs from 3 publicly funded primary care consortiums from distinct geographic areas within the United Kingdom were surveyed. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey approach was used to assess PCP attitude to WLS surgery. A questionnaire was sent electronically to PCPs, designed to assess PCP demographic, experience, knowledge, and attitude regarding obesity and WLS. For the purposes of analysis, PCPs were divided into junior and senior based on duration of practice. RESULTS: Of PCPs, 35 completed and returned the questionnaire. Although PCPs stated that approximately 30% of their patients were obese, 17 (49%) had made not a single referral for WLS in the previous 12 months. PCPs overestimated early WLS mortality rate more than 10-fold and 23 (66%) did not feel confident providing care to patients post-WLS. Junior PCPs were significantly more likely to feel that WLS should not be publicly funded (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a prejudice against WLS amongst PCPs in England, particularly among junior doctors.
Authors: Andrew C Currie; Alan Askari; Richard C Newton; Lorraine Albon; William Hawkins; Guy Slater; Christopher M Pring Journal: Obes Surg Date: 2020-08-03 Impact factor: 4.129