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. 2017 Apr;32(Suppl 1):65-69.
doi: 10.1007/s11606-016-3951-4.

A Health Services Research Agenda for Bariatric Surgery Within the Veterans Health Administration

L M Funk  1   2 , W Gunnar  3 , J A Dominitz  4   5 , D Eisenberg  6   7 , S Frayne  6   8 , M Maggard-Gibbons  9   10 , M A Kalarchian  11 , E Livingston  12   13 , V Sanchez  14   15 , B R Smith  16   17 , H Weidenbacher  18   19 , Matthew L Maciejewski  20   21
Affiliations

A Health Services Research Agenda for Bariatric Surgery Within the Veterans Health Administration

L M Funk et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2017 Apr.

Abstract

In 2016, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) held a Weight Management State of the Art conference to identify evidence gaps and develop a research agenda for population-based weight management for veterans. Included were behavioral, pharmacologic, and bariatric surgery workgroups. This article summarizes the bariatric surgery workgroup (BSWG) findings and recommendations for future research. The BSWG agreed that there is evidence from randomized trials and large observational studies suggesting that bariatric surgery is superior to medical therapy for short- and intermediate-term remission of type 2 diabetes, long-term weight loss, and long-term survival. Priority evidence gaps include long-term comorbidity remission, mental health, substance abuse, and health care costs. Evidence of the role of endoscopic weight loss options is also lacking. The BSWG also noted the limited evidence regarding optimal timing for bariatric surgery referral, barriers to bariatric surgery itself, and management of high-risk bariatric surgery patients. Clinical trials of pre- and post-surgery interventions may help to optimize patient outcomes. A registry of overweight and obese veterans and a workforce assessment to determine the VHA's capacity to increase bariatric surgery access were recommended. These will help inform policy modifications and focus the research agenda to improve the ability of the VHA to deliver population-based weight management.

Keywords: Veterans Health Administration; bariatric surgery; health services research; veterans; weight loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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