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A MOOC About Bariatric Surgery Improves Knowledge and Promotes Patients’ Soft Skills

Obesity Surgery volume 30, pages 1600–1604 (2020)Cite this article

Abstract

The ASMBS recommends that patients should be provided with educational materials to improve informed consent about bariatric surgery. Massive online open courses (MOOCs) are learning sources which are free, online, and available to people in remote situations. A French language MOOC regarding preparation for obesity surgery targets patients, as well as HCP, and people curious about this treatment. The patients’ knowledge and skills after completion of the 5-week learning sessions (evaluated with semi-direct interviews) improved. Soft skills such as feeling empowered to ask questions to their HCP and explaining their plan to their relatives improved. This study suggests that MOOC can be a resource to improve knowledge and soft skills in patients for a better consent to surgery and follow-up.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the Cardiomet Institute, Toulouse CHU (university hospital), for the help and support.

Author information

Author notes

  1. E. Pottier and L. Boulanouar contributed equally to this work.

Affiliations

  1. Nutrition Department, CIO and CHU, Toulouse, France

    E. Pottier, L. Boulanouar, M. Bertrand, A. Estrade, A. Croiset & P. Ritz

  2. Dietetics Department, CIO and CHU, Toulouse, France

    C. Martineau

  3. INSA Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    J. Y. Plantec

  4. Département Universitaire de Médecine Générale, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France

    B. Escourou

  5. Inserm U1027, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France

    P. Ritz

Authors
  1. E. Pottier
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  2. L. Boulanouar
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  3. M. Bertrand
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  4. A. Estrade
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  5. A. Croiset
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  6. C. Martineau
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  7. J. Y. Plantec
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  8. B. Escourou
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  9. P. Ritz
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Correspondence to P. Ritz.

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Appendix. Interview guide

Appendix. Interview guide

Icebreaker, remember anonymity, independence, no judgment, ability to stop when they want, etc.

Thank you for coming. We will talk about you and your experience; your opinion is very important and matters to us.

  1. 1.

    If you are comfortable, I would like you to tell me about your experience with the internet tool...

  • What were your thoughts on it?...

  • did you feel comfortable? ...was it easy to use?...

  • were there things that bothered you, or on the contrary...

  • and the site? ... what did you think of it? ... could it be improved?

  1. 2.

    And the fact that it’s at home...

  • what brought you to do it remotely?

  • and you there in front of the computer ... to do that remotely...

  • and the fact that the information comes to you?...

  • it may be more practical ... to access it when you want ...

  • it’s more private...

  • you feel lonely...

  • and if you had to go to a training... in a care facility... and do it in a group with other people... and with caregivers...

  1. 3.

    And at home, how did it go?...

  • and your family members ... are they aware ... is it easy to talk about it? ...did it change anything?...

  • did they see? ...did they ask questions? ...what do they think about it? ... does it interest them? ... How did they react? Are they involved?...

  • and focusing at home? ... with the family around? ... is it complicated? ...

  1. 4.

    - and if we have questions?... there was also a forum ... was it useful?...

II. During this experience, you met 3 characters, we will talk a little bit about them, I would like to know your thoughts...

Who do we start with?

There was... Gaëlle... Paul... Julie...

  1. 1.

    So Gaëlle...

  • -What affected you in her story? ... What is important to you in her story? ... what do you think?

  • -It is going well with Gaëlle? ... is she determined? ...

  • -was everything fine with her?...

  • -and her family members? it’s not easy...

  1. 2.

    Paul...

  • how is Paul? ... do you understand him? ... his path? ... can he change? ... all alone? ... is it complicated? ... is it hard for him? ... and in the end ... the fact that surgery is not possible...

  1. 3.

    Julie...

  • -What affected you in her story? ... What is important to you in her story?...

  • the moral... at first ... why is it important that she gets better? ...

  • and the surgery? ... does that solve all her problems? ....

  • and after the surgery? ... why it is useful that she continues to be accompanied by professionals? ... according to the answer: and for the moral/risk of complications?...

Which one did you prefer? Which one did you like the least?

How would you have chosen someone?... How would you have made this character?...

III. In total, if you had to summarize your experience in a few words, you would say...

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Pottier, E., Boulanouar, L., Bertrand, M. et al. A MOOC About Bariatric Surgery Improves Knowledge and Promotes Patients’ Soft Skills. OBES SURG 30, 1600–1604 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-019-04143-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-019-04143-5

Keywords

  • Obesity surgery
  • Education
  • Informed consent
  • Massive online open course