OBJECTIVES: To co-create a practical standardset of measures to be digitalized in an integrated platform to evaluate risk-adjusted outcomes for the bariatric surgery pathway.

METHODS: A group of multidisciplinary healthcare experts (surgeons, physicians, managers, IT) from 5 public hospitals and VBHC consultants led the process. International guidelines for bariatric surgery were reviewed to identify the most relevant outcome measures, and a sequence of meetings was conducted in each center to identify internal pathways and guidelines. A final workshop joined all the teams to achieve a consensus and validate, in a dynamic activity, the final standards to be used by Portuguese providers and payers. The validation considered the clinician's opinion about the importance of each variable and the feasibility of having its collection and analysis automated in a digital platform.

RESULTS: A final standardset was created, consisting of a list of variables to be considered, their definition, data source and time of collection. A common timeline was established, and 9 data collection points were defined. The final dataset comprised 59 variables, including case-mix and clinical reported outcomes (CROS). Case-mix variables included demographic data, clinical history, lifestyle habits, anthropometric assessments, lab results, and surgery strategies. CROs included primary and secondary outcomes along with the process of recovery. The document was followed by a list of technical requirements that the information systems need to attend to allow the data collection. The final dataset will be implemented in the digital platform for all participant centres in 2024 (pilot project).

CONCLUSIONS: This project brings to light the importance of co-creation processes for the development of standardsets of measures for specific clinical conditions, to be considered as a national reference for benchmarking purposes. By consolidating the results in a digital platform that can be easily scaled, this project can be a landscape in managing bariatric surgery pathways worldwide.