Background

While there is a higher prevalence of obesity-related diseases within minority groups, they are less likely to undergo bariatric procedures than their Caucasian counterparts. These disparities may be due in part to implicit bias, which is a form of cognitive bias. This study aims to identify whether cognitive bias exists within our Bariatric Surgery Multidisciplinary Committee (MDC) selection process.We looked at a 5-year timeframe of all patients who were discussed at MDC and for what reasons they were presented- medical complexity, social issues, psychology concerns, or being a revisional case. We then compared those who were cleared for surgery versus those who were deferred or denied to see what reasons these were for.We had a total of 326 patients included, of which 127 underwent surgery while 102 were deferred and 69 denied. Psychology concerns were the most common reason for referral for MDC. Psych and social concerns were the more common reasons for deferral or denial of surgery (see table 1).Over half of the patients discussed at our MDC were for social and psychological concern. While this may suggest these patients have more complex medical histories leading into surgery and warrant a discussion, we cannot state that bias may not be a part of these screenings. This study demonstrates the presence of bias can be present in determining what patients undergo bariatric operations. We hope by disseminating this, we can encourage other bariatric groups to evaluate their own decision processes and increase the availability of these procedures.