World's Largest Bariatric Surgery Patient Database Exceeding 120,000 Patients Will Support Best Practices Development

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Also Included In: Cosmetic Medicine / Plastic Surgery;  Diabetes
Article Date: 21 May 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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Surgical Review Corporation (SRC), an independent, non-profit organization that advances the efficacy, efficiency and safety of bariatric and metabolic surgery, announced that the number of registered patients entered into its Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database™ (BOLD™) has now surpassed 120,000. BOLD, the world's largest dedicated repository of bariatric surgery patient information, provides the mechanism for identifying risk factors and quality indicators, developing risk stratification guidelines, and enabling continuous quality improvement for bariatric surgery.

All participants in the Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® (BSCOE®) program, which SRC administers on behalf of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, are required to enter information into BOLD for every bariatric surgical procedure and patient encounter, including complications and comorbidities.

"Nearly 900 surgeons and more than 500 hospitals are now entering data into BOLD," said Neil Hutcher, M.D., FACS, Chairman of the SRC Board of Directors and a practicing BSCOE bariatric surgeon in Richmond, Va. "I'm also pleased to announce that 100 percent of BSCOE designees are BOLD users. A remarkable accomplishment when compared to a recent study reporting that only 7.6 percent of U.S. hospitals use an electronic health record. This level of participation demonstrates that bariatric surgeons are truly dedicated to determining the best care for their patients."

In June, SRC will provide aggregate benchmark data to BOLD users so that they can compare their own data to the entire research dataset. The organization also plans to publish national aggregate data reports, establishing a basis for best practices.

"BOLD provides a unique platform for evidence-based medicine," said Deborah Winegar, Ph.D., Director of Research at SRC. "The large volume of data it contains supports in-depth analysis of the value and efficacy of different surgical procedures. BOLD will shape the future of bariatric surgery and guide the care of those suffering with obesity and diabetes."

Source
Surgical Review Corporation