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- Title
Self-Pay Payer Status Predicts Long-Term Loss to Follow-Up After Bariatric Surgery.
- Authors
Martinez, Paige L.; McGarrity, Larissa A.; Turner, Natalie A.; Volckmann, Eric T.; Kohler, Rebecca M.; Morrow, Ellen H.; Ibele, Anna R.
- Abstract
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.
- Subjects
BARIATRIC surgery; POSTOPERATIVE care; INSURANCE; MINORITIES; LOGISTIC regression analysis
- Publication
Obesity Surgery, 2021, Vol 31, Issue 4, p1590
- ISSN
0960-8923
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s11695-020-05161-4