How Online Bariatric Seminars Can Improve Patient Acquisitions and Outcomes
The Right Healthcare Webinar Tools Can Help New Weight Loss Surgery Patients Meet Their Bariatric Surgery Requirements
It’s likely that if you are reading this, you already know the importance of bariatric seminars for prospective and new weight loss surgery patients. Although not a federal regulation, bariatric surgery seminars are often considered a requirement by insurance companies before they will authorize the procedure. For years, bariatric surgery centers have conducted on-site seminars to advise new bariatric patients about what to expect before and after bariatric surgery, which often provides bariatric patient education for:• the pre-surgical process
• dietary and fitness regimens
• surgical options
• the recovery process
• various post-surgery/next-steps programs
Further, in-house bariatric seminars provided new weight loss surgery patients an opportunity to meet the center’s bariatric surgeons. More recently, online bariatric surgery seminars have been offered as an alternative to in-house seminars. Not only does this enable bariatric surgery centers to offer more options for new weight loss surgery patients to attend seminars at times and locations that are more convenient, but it also improves efficiency for busy bariatric surgeons and staff.• YouTube
• Google Hangouts
• Vimeo
• Periscope
Although these are adequate for sharing general bariatric patient education and bariatric surgery center marketing videos, they have some critical deficiencies when used for required bariatric surgery seminars. This is particularly true in the context of using them as alternatives to dedicated, pro-quality learning management systems (LMS) and Webinar software. Some key reasons include:• Tracking: It’s impossible (or difficult at best) to precisely track which new patients actually attended the bariatric seminar. Although YouTube and others provide basic analytics about users (e.g., geography, platform, visit length), they don’t capture the specific information needed to confirm a patient’s attendance or comprehension of the information presented.
Yes, there are workarounds—for instance, patients can leave a comment, which could indicate when they watched the weight loss seminar, however, it requires them to also have user handles that make them easily recognizable—which is far from optimal.
• Poaching: Social media-driven online video platforms like YouTube are highly aware of a channel’s content, which enables it to recommend other videos and display banner advertisements. The obvious problem is those videos and advertisements will likely come from competing bariatric surgery centers, potentially leading your lead to another program’s content. Further, any user comments are viewable by competitors, which further enables them to potentially poach your hard-earned new patient leads.
• Privacy: Virtually any discussion about healthcare information and patients requires some mention about privacy, and online bariatric surgery seminars are no exception—especially if patients are sharing any personal information about themselves so that they can verify they attended a presentation.
The process of acquiring new bariatric patients and providing bariatric patient management from surgery through recovery is a challenging and complicated one—and one where a decision about the real value of free or inexpensive weight loss seminars tools versus professional bariatric patient engagement solutions must be carefully considered. However, specialized bariatric patient engagement tools that have online bariatric seminar capabilities can quickly show a return on investment (ROI) by increasing bariatric patient acquisition rates and improving bariatric surgery outcomes.Kris Altiere is Guideway Care Director of Marketing and Creative. Please contact us to learn more about how Guideway Care can partner with you to develop a successful bariatric online seminar.
However, there are options thanks to weight loss procedures performed at the many world class facilities such as MountainView Weight Loss Center in Las Cruces, N.M., Park Nicollet Bariatric Surgery Center in Minneapolis and several other bariatric practices around the country that have partnered with Guideway Care. Together we provide long term-solutions to bolster patient engagement, improve patient management and generate positive patient outcomes.
For individuals suffering from severe obesity, attempts at weight loss can be a challenging cycle of disappointment and negative reinforcement. Traditional weight loss methods like diet and exercise often fail to deliver the results needed for a severely obese person to reach and maintain a healthy weight. This lack of sustainable results can result in a sense of hopelessness and apathy that overwhelms the seriousness of underlying health concerns. To give severely obese individuals a better chance at an improved quality of life, a more effective option is needed.
This is why many bariatric programs have teamed with Guideway Care to provide online seminars, housed on the practice’s website. These are designed to attract new patients and inform the patient of his or her treatment options. They also have the opportunity to view the video from the comfort of their home and do not have to travel, which for some severely obese people is an arduous task.
“The online course is an alternative to attending one of our regularly scheduled seminars, in-person,” said Stephan Myers, MD, FACS, who works at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. “The online bariatric course provides information to help you decide if bariatric surgery is right for you. It’s a convenient way to learn about our bariatrics program from the comfort of your home, at your personal computer.”
Combine Guideway Care online seminars with our web-based LeadTracker™, which captures and tracks your patients from initial intake through every stage of the patient process under your care, and you are armed with the right tools to provide optimum care for your patients.
Fortunately weight loss procedures are now more practical, viable and more easily accessible than ever before for a wider range of patients. A dedicated team of experienced specialists and surgeons use only the latest technology and the most proven methods to provide truly world class care.
For anyone curious about the many outstanding and proven bariatric procedures available, an online seminar is the best way to learn about the surgery. With a wide range of treatment to choose from, any patient will be guided toward the exact strategy that’s right for them. Because bariatric surgery is not a one-size-fits-all procedure, highly experienced surgeons work closely with each and every patient throughout the process, from inquiry through post-op, to ensure all patients receive the top-notch care they need.
This is where the LeadTracker™ proves to be a valuable tool. With one click of the mouse, you can tell where each patient is in the process.
Because severe obesity is a life threatening concern, anyone dealing with its effects, limitations and consequences simply can’t afford to wait any longer before taking action. If your practice does not have an online seminar presence or a way to track the progress of your patients, your practice is not working as efficiently as it could be, and your patients are suffering.
With the LeadTracker™, your practice runs more efficiently and is more productive, as the program simplifies and streamlines patient intake, appointment scheduling and outreach efforts.
It’s a win for your patient population and for your practice. Don’t delay, visit 
The researchers from the four hospitals comprising the University Health Network – Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – analyzed data from 1,644 patients. These patients were referred to the university’s bariatric surgery program between June 2008 and July 2011. Only 45 percent became bariatric surgical patients. Of the ones not having surgery, 30 percent didn’t even make it to the patient orientation session, the first step after getting the physician referral.
“The majority of attrition appears to be the result of patient self-removal,” the authors of the article theorized.
These findings seem to reiterate what Karla Tacey, the director of bariatrics at MountainView Regional Hospital in Las Cruces, N.M., has tried to emphasize. She believes connecting and staying engaged with bariatric patients is a must in order to gain positive results.
“It takes so much for a patient to pick up that phone and say I want to have bariatric surgery. It’s scary,” said Tacey, who along with Dr. Frank Felts has seen the MountainView Weight Loss Center grow to nearly 60 patients a month in a little more than two years.
Unlike a routine procedure, like gall bladder surgery, bariatric patients go through several steps. In the University Health Network’s program, patients endure several assessments, including an orientation followed by a nursing consultation, a nutrition class, a dietician assessment and an evaluation by a social worker.
The patient is evaluated by a psychologist and has a final consultation with the surgeon prior to actually undergoing the procedure. During each of these steps, clinical experts evaluate whether the patient is a candidate for the procedure.
There are so many steps in the process, it’s no wonder there is a high attrition rate of patients falling out of the program. Moving these 1,000-plus patients through the multi-stage process is comparable to herding cats. You are not sure where they are going to go and ultimately some will fall through the cracks.
Had the University Health Network used a patient tracking solution, chances are the attrition rate would have been much lower. Perhaps the LeadTracker™, an innovative, web-based tool created by MDnetSolutions, would net more positive results for the hospital network.
With the HIPAA-compliant solution, a doctor can track a patient’s progress from initial intake through every step of the patient cycle. A doctor can track a patient’s progress with a simple click of a mouse, saving time and enhancing the patient/physician experience.
“It is a partnership,” Tacey said. “Bariatric surgery is a long process and you have to stay on top of these patients. If you don’t have a tracker or a method for watching these people, you will lose them.”
University Health Network surgeon Fayez Quereshy, who was lead author of the study, has collaborated with his colleagues and they are currently testing whether a 40-question patient survey should be completed before orientation. The goal is to identify patients who are at risk for not having the operation and then have evaluation experts provide the proper support upfront to help guide the patient through the process.
“If a patient has signs and symptoms of depression for example,” Dr. Quereshy said, “we can make sure he or she sees the psychiatrist first.”
If University Health Network used The Leadtracker™, Dr. Quereshy could track the patient who is seeing the psychiatrist first and see how that patient has progressed. He also can see when a patient has been cleared by a social worker, completed a nutrition class or completed a nursing consultation and is ready for a final consultation with the surgeon.
By doing some handholding, patients feel more secure and are more likely to go through with the surgery. The LeadTracker™ can help an organization maximize its patient relationship management and increase the chances for positive patient outcomes. It also can save a weight loss center or hospital on resources lost due to patients dropping out of the program.”
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