Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Martinez, Paige L.
• McGarrity, Larissa A.
• Turner, Natalie A.
• Volckmann, Eric T.
• Kohler, Rebecca M.
• Morrow, Ellen H.
• Ibele, Anna R.

Titel

Self-Pay Payer Status Predicts Long-Term Loss to Follow-Up After Bariatric Surgery

Ist Teil von

• Obesity surgery, 2021-04, Vol.31 (4), p.1590-1596

Ort / Verlag

New York: Springer US

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Purpose In spite of widespread recommendations for lifelong patient follow-up with a bariatric provider after bariatric surgery, attrition to follow-up is common. Over the past two decades, many programs have sought to expand access to care for patients lacking insurance coverage for bariatric surgery by offering “self-pay” packages; however, the impact of this financing on long-term follow-up is unclear. We sought to determine whether payer status impacts loss to follow-up within 1 year after bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods Records of 554 consecutive patients undergoing bariatric surgery who were eligible for 1-year post-surgical follow-up between 2014 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Multiple logistic regression examined the relationship between demographics, psychological variables, payer status, and loss to follow-up. Results Self-pay status more than tripled the odds of loss to follow-up (OR = 3.44, p  < 0.01) at 1 year following surgery. Males had more than double the odds of attrition (OR = 2.43, p  < 0.01), and members of racial and ethnic minority groups (OR = 2.51, p  < 0.05) were more likely to experience loss. Conclusions Self-pay patients, males and members of racial and ethnic minority groups, may face additional barriers to long-term access to postoperative bariatric care. Further investigation is greatly needed to develop strategies to overcome barriers to and disparities in long-term post-surgical care for more frequently lost groups.