JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The internet has become an important medium within healthcare, giving patients the opportunity to search for information, guidance, and support to manage their health and wellbeing needs. Online forums and internet-based platforms appear to have changed the way many bariatric surgery patients view and engage with their health, before and after weight loss surgery. Given that significant health improvements result from sustained weight loss, ensuring patient adherence to recommended pre- and post-operative guidance is critical for bariatric surgery success. In a patient cohort with high information needs pre-operatively, and notoriously high attrition rates post-operatively, online forums may present an underutilised method of support. This review focuses on the role that online forums can play in the pre- and post-operative periods by fulfilling patient information-seeking needs, facilitating peer-peer connectedness, and enabling connectivity with surgical multidisciplinary team members. We also consider the challenges associated with online forums and the wider use of digital health technologies when it comes to supporting and empowering bariatric surgery patients in a modern world.