Using A Private Online Forum To Support Your Bariatric Patients

The Benefits Of An Online Forum For Your Clinic

Providing a private online forum allows your patients to interact with other people who have had bariatric surgery, to seek help and empathy in relation to what they're going through in the months and years after surgery, and to discuss the positive, and at times challenging, impact that surgery can have on all aspects of their lives.

Using an online forum is a great way for your clinic to:

• build a community and support network for patients;
• deliver educational resources and motivational tips;
• notify and remind patients about upcoming support events at your clinic; and
• remind patients of the importance of going back to the clinic regularly. 

This all means that your clinic stands out in terms of your patient support and allows your team to function in a very cost-effective manner.

Tips For Running Your Forum 

There are a number of aspects that must be managed when offering an online support forum.

Make The Group 'Private' 

One of the major issues is that of privacy. If you offer an open Facebook group then many patients won't want to join it because their Facebook friends will see that they have had bariatric surgery. It's therefore very important to make the group settings 'private' so that only members can see who is in the group and what is posted.  If patients still have privacy concerns around who in the group may know them, then they can join the group using an alias profile to further maintain their privacy.

Moderate The Group

Another major issue with support forums is that they need to be moderated. There are many open online forums for bariatric patients on the internet and you only have to have a quick look at them to see the types of medical and dietary questions posted by patients. Responses and advice from patients can be incorrect, misleading and are sometimes potentially dangerous. In addition, although generally most people are incredibly supportive on these forums, you will always have a small minority of people who are not or who can be judgmental about what other members have posted about or are doing. It's therefore essential to have a dedicated member (or members) of your team constantly moderating the forum.

Use A Disclaimer

It is also recommended that you have a disclaimer on the page (with regular reminders) advising that your forum is a positive space for encouragement, motivation and support and also that everyone’s personal circumstances are different, therefore medical and dietary questions should be directed directly solely to the clinic and not to fellow patients.

Actively Ask Who Is Struggling

Another issue with online forums is that of successful patients posting their achievements which can lead to struggling patients comparing themselves and feeling disappointed. The moderator must therefore ensure that posts are regularly made to remind everyone that they are on their own unique journey, not to compare oneself to others on the site, and to actively ask who is struggling and who needs support.

Lead The Way In The Bariatric Surgery Field

Using constant, thoughtful and deliberate moderation can help turn your Facebook support forum into an extremely powerful and cost-effective tool to further assist your patients.  In an increasingly competitive field, using this technology as part of your communication and support strategy with patients will help you to stand out and lead the way in your field.