Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37081252›Full record

ArticleObesity surgery2023

Remote Follow-up with a Mobile Application Is Equal to Traditional Outpatient Follow-up After Bariatric Surgery: the BELLA Pilot Trial.

Cui Yang, Mia Kessler, Niki Taebi, Michael Hetjens, Christoph Reissfelder, Mirko Otto, Georgi Vassilev

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Obesity surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
7.9field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Cui YangDepartment of Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany. cui.yang@umm.de.ORCID 0000-0003-3779-0424
Mia KesslerDepartment of Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.
Niki TaebiDepartment of Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.
Michael HetjensDepartment of Biomedical Informatics, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
Christoph ReissfelderDepartment of Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.
Mirko OttoDepartment of Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.
Georgi VassilevDepartment of Surgery, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167, Mannheim, Germany.
Heidelberg University · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMedical follow-up after bariatric surgery is recommended. However, the compliance was poor. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a smartphone-based fully remote follow-up (FU) program for patients after bariatric surgery.

methodsIn the interventional group, patients were followed up using a smartphone application (app), through which questionnaires were sent regularly. Participants in the control group underwent standard FU at the outpatient clinic every three months. After 12 months, all the participants were evaluated at an outpatient clinic.

resultsBetween August 2020 and March 2021, 44 and 43 patients in the interventional and control groups, respectively, were included in the analysis after three patients were lost to FU, and three withdrew their informed consent because they wished for more personal contact with medical caregivers. After 12 months, total weight loss (TWL), %TWL, and percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) did not differ between groups. There were no significant differences in the complication rates, including surgical complications, malnutrition, and micronutrition deficiency. The parameters of bioelectrical impedance analysis and quality of life did not differ between the groups. Vitamins and minerals in serum were similar in both groups except for calcium, which was significantly higher in the interventional group (2.52 mmol/L vs. 2.35 mmol/L, p = 0.038).

conclusionFully remote FU with a smartphone application is at least as effective as traditional in-person FU in an outpatient clinic after bariatric surgery. Through remote FU, patients can save time and medical professionals may have more resources for patients with more severe problems.

Indexed as

Bariatric SurgeryMobile ApplicationsObesity, MorbidFollow-Up StudiesHumansOutpatientsPilot ProjectsQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeWeight LossHandheld deviceMobile health appObesityPostoperative monitoringTelemedicine

Identifiers

PMID37081252
PMCPMC10119000
OpenAlexW4366547802

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.