Identifying barriers to shared decision‐making about bariatric surgery in two large health systems

Prior research suggests shared decision‐making (SDM) could improve patient and healthcare provider communication about bariatric surgery. This study aimed to identify and prioritize barriers to SDM around bariatric surgery to help guide the implementation of SDM. The study results showed that one health system identified 13 barriers and prioritized 5 as the most important and feasible to address. The second health system identified 14 barriers and prioritized 6. Both health systems commonly prioritized six barriers: lack of insurance coverage; lack of understanding of insurance coverage; lack of organizational prioritization of SDM; lack of knowledge about bariatric surgery; lack of interdepartmental clarity between primary and specialty care; and limited training on SDM conversations and tools. This study suggests that Health systems face numerous barriers to SDM around bariatric surgery, and these can be easily identified and prioritized by multistakeholder teams. Future research should seek to identify effective strategies to address these common barriers.