Telehealth: Making the Most of Your Time

Bariatric weight loss surgery is one of the most effective treatments for severe obesity. Research shows that the availability of healthcare services pre and post bariatric surgery improves behavioral change and weight loss outcomes. In this master class we will review the evidence relating to the use, feasibility and acceptance of telemedicine for providing health services during the bariatric journey process and its benefits for both: patients and health care providers.

Clinical Background

• There is an opportunity for development of (1) tailored eHealth interventions to support pre- and post-MBS sustained behavior change and improved outcomes; and (2) rigorous studies that employ robust conceptual frameworks so dissemination and implementation efforts can be mapped to construct-driven outcomes.During the bariatric Journey It is necessary for all patients to receive individualized dietary strategies and regular monitoring at long term to reduce the risk of complications at the same time as maximizing the effectiveness of the intervention.

• Telehealth plays a key role during the whole bariatric process: from the evaluation, through the OR, and at long term follow-up

• Patient´s engagement in the bariatric program beyond 2 years is challenging and it has been related to bariatric surgery outcomes (weight re-gain and nutritional deficiencies)

• The advent of smartphone technology for connecting patients with their healthcare providers offers an additional means of two-way communication, which can include messaging, video calls, real-time updates, appointment reminders, nutrition, and nutrition impact symptom (NIS) monitoring, and the provision of targeted patient information.

• This review suggests that telemedicine may be a potential method for providing healthcare services to bariatric surgery patients.

• AIS TeleSurgeon is a surgical education, collaboration and mentoring system that combines hardware and software. This technology opens a spectrum of remote assistance and training opportunities for surgeons and other healthcare professionals.