13 Data Management for the Bariatric Surgery Program

Abstract

This chapter is dedicated to a discussion of database management for the bariatric surgery program. It begins with a review of the history of database management. Prior to the mid-2000s, there was very little centralized data collection from surgeons regarding their results and outcomes. The drive for quality improvement, greater surgical safety, and evaluation of specific surgical procedures has pushed the field toward collection of more data for assessment. The first national database used for center accreditation was started by the American College of Surgeons in 2005 and was known as the Bariatric Surgery Center Network (BSCN) bariatric surgery database. In 2007, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and the Surgical Review Corporation formed a separate and distinct accrediting agency and bariatric database known as BOLD (Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database). In 2012, these two entities were merged into what is now known as the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) in an effort to centralize data collection and accreditation. The major changes in data recording and requirements as well the improvements over previous systems are reviewed. Finally, there is a discussion of data points surgeons may wish to include if they wanted to design their own internal database.