Table 6. Comparison of primary care practitioners who have referred patients to the bariatric program versus those who have not.
| Variables | Referred (n=89) (%) | Never referred (n=35) (%) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent recommending patients for bariatric surgery | 11.7±15.1 | 11.3±21.6 | 0.91 |
| Percent estimating T2DM resolution | 54.4±22.6 | 39.0±20.1 | 0.003 |
| Percent estimating HTN resolution | 49.4±21.0 | 38.8±19.6 | 0.032 |
| Percent estimating DLD resolution | 45.5±23.5 | 37.6±19.1 | 0.148 |
| Percent estimating OSA resolution | 53.7±22.7 | 47.2±21.5 | 0.228 |
| Location of practice, n (%) | 0.841 | ||
| Same RHA | 54 (60.7) | 22 (62.9) | |
| Different RHA | 35 (39.3) | 13 (37.1) | |
| Comfortable with non-operative obesity management, n (%) | 1 | ||
| Agree | 73 (83.0) | 29 (82.9) | |
| Disagree | 15 (17.0) | 6 (17.1) | |
| Comfortable with operative obesity management, n (%) | <0.001 | ||
| Agree | 50 (56.8) | 6 (17.1) | |
| Disagree | 38 (43.2) | 29 (82.9) | |
| Comfortable with bariatric surgery post-operative care, n (%) | 0.004 | ||
| Agree | 60 (67.4) | 13 (38.2) | |
| Disagree | 29 (32.6) | 21 (61.8) | |
| Residency training in managing bariatric surgery patients, n (%) | 0.19 | ||
| Agree | 7 (7.9) | 0 (0) | |
| Disagree | 82 (92.1) | 34 (100.0) | |
| Previous CME in obesity management, n (%) | 0.084 | ||
| Agree | 35 (39.3) | 15 (42.9) | |
| Disagree | 54 (60.7) | 20 (57.1) |
T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus; HTN, hypertension; DLD, dyslipidemia; OSA, obstructive sleep apnea; RHA, regional health authority; CME, continuing medical education.