Abstract
Despite increasing prevalence of obesity, no country has successfully implemented comprehensive pathways to provide advice to all the severely obese patients that seek treatment. We aimed to formulate pathways for referral into and out of weight assessment and management clinics (WAMCs) that include internal medicine/primary care physicians as part of a multidisciplinary team that could provide specialist advice and interventions, including referral for bariatric surgery. Using a National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)-accredited process, a Guidance Development Group conducted a literature search identifying existing WAMCs. As very few examples of effective structures and clinical pathways existed, the current evidence base for optimal assessment and management of bariatric surgery patients was used to reach a consensus. The model we describe could be adopted internationally by health services to manage severely obese patients.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 649-659 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Obesity Surgery |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2016 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Bariatric surgery
- Clinical pathways
- Obesity management
- Service access