The diffusion of bariatric surgery programs within US community hospitals, 1995 to 2000

This paper assessed the rapid diffusion of bariatric surgery programs, the surgical treatment for morbid obesity, in US hospitals between 1995 and 2000 and the impact of organisational factors and environmental factors associated with adoption or expansion. We found that diffusion of bariatric surgery programs was consistent with findings of diffusion of other medical innovation with two distinct components: expansion in existing programs and initiation of new programs. Our results provided limited support for the association between some organisational and environmental factors and development of bariatric surgery programs in hospitals. Concerning the cost growth associated with the dramatic increase in bariatric procedures, different implications could be derived from this study for hospitals, payers and policy makers.