What Happens To Patients With Severe Obesity In Hospitals?



bariatric patient in bedWith the increasing number of Canadians living with severe obesity (BMIs 50+), it is not unexpected that more of them will be seen in healthcare settings.

However, whether or not Canadian hospitals are ready to look after these patients with in the right setting with the right equipment and whether healthcare providers are aware of and sensitive to the special needs of these patients is not clear.

This is why, Mary Forhan and her team at the University of Alberta is currently conducting a qualitative and quantitative assessment of exactly what problems patients with severe obesity face in healthcare settings.

The study, funded by Alberta Innovates Health Solution (AIHS) will look at the special challenges that these patients present in a range for settings – acute care, cancer, cardiology and rehabilitation.

A substudy will also examine the issues faced by kids and adolescent with severe obesity in healthcare settings.

Together, this project should lead to a better understanding on how healthcare systems better prepare themselves to deliver compassionate and professional care to adults and children living with severe obesity in Alberta. The learnings will likely also inform healthcare systems elsewhere.

For more on this study visit the AIHS website.

If you are someone living with severe obesity, who has experienced issues in your healthcare that could have been prevented or addressed with appropriate equipment and/or training, I’d love to hear your story.

@DrSharma
Edmonton, AB

Conflict: I am a co-investigator on this project.