Dataset Information

'The only chance of a normal weight life': A qualitative analysis of online forum discussions about bariatric surgery.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:The only effective weight loss treatment for severe obesity is bariatric surgery, with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass being the most common method. Patients often have unrealistic expectations of surgery and expect a "miracle cure" even though the procedure requires major lifelong lifestyle changes. Most patients access information about the procedure online, and come into contact with others who have had the surgery. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to describe shared values, feelings, and thoughts among visitors to a web-based forum for those undergoing bariatric surgery. METHODS:In this cross-sectional observation study using qualitative contents analysis, the material consisted of an online discussion forum thread about bariatric surgery, with 498 posts. These were saved in a document, read and re-read. Through coding of meaningful units of text, themes were established. RESULTS:Four themes were constructed during data analysis: a) A new life-anticipating dramatic changes of body and mind; b) Negotiating the system and playing the waiting game; c) A means to an end-managing the pre-operative diet; and d) Managing the attitudes of others. Posters described the process of bariatric surgery as a journey, riddled with roadblocks, setbacks and trials, but also with joy and expectations of a new life. CONCLUSION:Professionals who encounter this group should be aware of their need for support throughout the process, and investigate the possibility of both pre- and postoperative support groups, either online or face-to-face. The results also show that the posters on the forum had very high, and often unrealistic, expectations on how the surgery would change their lives. It is important for those who encounter this group before surgery to be aware of this tendency and to take measures to ensure that patients undergo the surgery with realistic expectations.

SUBMITTER: Willmer M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6201906 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

'The only chance of a normal weight life': A qualitative analysis of online forum discussions about bariatric surgery.

Willmer Mikaela M Salzmann-Erikson Martin M

PloS one 20181025 10

<h4>Background</h4>The only effective weight loss treatment for severe obesity is bariatric surgery, with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass being the most common method. Patients often have unrealistic expectations of surgery and expect a "miracle cure" even though the procedure requires major lifelong lifestyle changes. Most patients access information about the procedure online, and come into contact with others who have had the surgery.<h4>Objective</h4>The objective of this study was to describe shar ...[more]

PMID: 30359394

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for problematic cannabis use. However, clinical and anecdotal evidence suggest an increasingly popular perception that cannabis is therapeutic for ADHD, including via online resources. Given that the Internet is increasingly utilized as a source of healthcare information and may influence perceptions, we conducted a qualitative analysis of online forum discussions, also referred to as threads, on the effects of cannabis on ADHD to systematically characterize the content patients and caregivers may encounter about ADHD and cannabis. METHODS:A total of 268 separate forum threads were identified. Twenty percent (20%) were randomly selected, which yielded 55 separate forum threads (mean number of individual posts per forum thread = 17.53) scored by three raters (Cohen's kappa = 0.74). A final sample of 401 posts in these forum threads received at least one endorsement on predetermined topics following qualitative coding procedures. RESULTS:Twenty-five (25%) percent of individual posts indicated that cannabis is therapeutic for ADHD, as opposed to 8% that it is harmful, 5% that it is both therapeutic and harmful, and 2% that it has no effect on ADHD. This pattern was generally consistent when the year of each post was considered. The greater endorsement of therapeutic versus harmful effects of cannabis did not generalize to mood, other (non-ADHD) psychiatric conditions, or overall domains of daily life. Additional themes emerged (e.g., cannabis being considered sanctioned by healthcare providers). CONCLUSIONS:Despite that there are no clinical recommendations or systematic research supporting the beneficial effects of cannabis use for ADHD, online discussions indicate that cannabis is considered therapeutic for ADHD-this is the first study to identify such a trend. This type of online information could shape ADHD patient and caregiver perceptions, and influence cannabis use and clinical care.

Project description:BackgroundHistorically our institution has required prospective bariatric patients attend an in-person introductory seminar prior to their first clinic visit. Utilization of the internet has increased dramatically over the last 10 years and in 2016, we added an online seminar. With the emergence of COVID-19 and new rules regarding social distancing, we are currently relying exclusively on web-based orientation. Research suggests there are racial and socioeconomic disparities in the utilization of internet health resources in the general population. To our knowledge this has not been studied in regard to the bariatric population.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed on patients who attended online (OS) and in-person seminars (IPS). Our primary endpoint was to compare the percentage of patients who underwent surgery. Secondary outcomes included differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the patients who attended the OS versus the IPS.ResultsOf the 1152 patients who attended a bariatric orientation, 71.2% scheduled an office visit. The IPS patients had a higher rate of office visits and shorter time between orientation and first visit. Of patients eligible for surgery, there was a higher percentage of Caucasians in the OS group while the IPS group had higher rates of Hispanic and African Americans. Patients from the OS group had higher rates of marriage and employment, and lower rates of medical co-morbidities. When controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, employment status and medical co-morbidities, there was no significant impact of type of orientation on progression to surgery.ConclusionWe found that there was no difference in progression to surgery between the two orientation groups. Importantly, however, we detected marked demographic and clinical differences between the two patient populations. There is an urgent need to address these disparities as we are now heavily relying on patient outreach and education via the internet.

Project description:Plain English summary:Patient and public involvement (PPI) is increasingly recognised as important in research. Most PPI takes place face-to-face, but this can be difficult for people who are unwell or have caring responsibilities. As these challenges are particularly common in palliative care and rehabilitation research, we developed an online forum for PPI: www.csipublicinvolvement.co.uk. In this study, we explored how well the online forum worked, if it is a suitable method for PPI, and how PPI members and researchers reacted to using it. We used an existing theory about online interventions to help choose the 'right' questions to ask participants. We invited PPI members and researchers who had used the online forum to participate in focus groups, and identified the most important themes discussed. Within this study, PPI members have helped with the interview questions, analysis, and write up. Overall, four PPI members and five researchers participated in the focus groups. Participants felt the online forum worked well and had multiple benefits. From the discussions, we identified four key questions to consider when developing online methods for PPI: how does the forum work, how does it engage people, how does it empower people, and what is the impact? Participants suggested the forum could be improved by being more PPI and less researcher focused. We conclude that when developing online methods of PPI, a functioning forum is not enough: it also needs to be engaging and empowering to have an impact. Future work can use these four domains when developing their own online PPI methods. Abstract: Background:Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is increasingly recognised as important. Most PPI activities take place face-to-face, yet this can be difficult for people with ill health or caring responsibilities, and may exclude people from hard-to-reach populations (e.g. living in vulnerable social circumstances and/or remote geographical locations). These challenges are particularly pertinent in palliative care and rehabilitation research where people often live with, or care for someone with, advanced illness. In response to this, we aimed to test the functionality, feasibility, and acceptability of an online forum for PPI for palliative care and rehabilitation research (www.csipublicinvolvement.co.uk). Methods:We conducted separate focus groups with PPI members and researchers who had used the online forum. Data collection was underpinned by DeLone and Mclean's model of information systems success. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Dual coding by two authors ensured rigour, and attention was paid to divergent cases. Results:Four PPI members and five researchers participated in the focus groups (two PPI focus groups, one researcher focus group). The online forum was perceived as functional, feasible, and acceptable. Our analysis identified four key questions to consider when developing online methods for PPI: (1) how does the forum work, (2) how does it engage people, (3) how does it empower people, and (4) what is the impact? PPI members felt that the online forum was too researcher led, and needed to be more PPI focussed. Conclusions:When developing online methods of PPI, a functioning forum is not enough: it also needs to be engaging and empowering to have an impact. To optimise online involvement, future work should refer to these four domains and balance the needs of researchers and PPI members.

Dataset Information

'The only chance of a normal weight life': A qualitative analysis of online forum discussions about bariatric surgery.

Publications

'The only chance of a normal weight life': A qualitative analysis of online forum discussions about bariatric surgery.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure