Hamid Safraz A, Graetz Elena, Bakkila Baylee F, Chao Grace F, Zolfaghari Emily J, Schultz Kurt S, Chetty Ashwin K, Trabilsy Maissa, Schneider Eric B, Gibbs Karen E
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Yale National Clinician Scholars Program, New Haven, CT, USA.
Obes Surg. 2025 Jan;35(1):170-180. doi: 10.1007/s11695-024-07605-7. Epub 2024 Dec 4.
Use of online crowdfunding to mitigate health-related cost burden is common in the US, but its usage among candidates for metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is unknown. We aimed to identify GoFundMe campaigns fundraising for MBS and characterize sources of financial strain. We also aimed to determine factors associated with successful crowdfunding.
We searched GoFundMe for campaigns fundraising for MBS. Data items were extracted by two investigators with disagreements resolved by a third. We assessed associations between these data items and category of money raised using ordered logistic regression.
We identified 539 campaigns, of which 33.6% were raising funds for sleeve gastrectomy, 24.1% for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and 2.0% for biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. Most campaigns were created by the patient (73.1%) who had health insurance (53.4%) and at least one obesity-associated disease (56.8%). Over half (53.6%) sought funds for a direct medical expense and 35.1% sought funds for a non-medical expense, which included lost wages (15.6%), food (10.8%), transportation (10.2%), childcare (7.1%), and/or housing (5.8%). The median requested was $8000 (IQR 10,440) and the median raised was $860 (IQR 3173). The majority (63.1%) of campaigns earned less than 25% of their requested amount. Campaigns that shared mental health-related disease (aOR 0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.95) and non-surgical attempts to lose weight (aOR 0.59, 95% CI 0.37-0.94) had lower odds of raising a higher category of money compared to campaigns not disclosing these details.
Patients pursuing MBS in the US use online crowdfunding to subsidize both medical and non-medical expenses, but the majority of campaigns are unsuccessful. Our study highlights unmet financial need among MBS candidates.
在美国，利用在线众筹来减轻与健康相关的费用负担很常见，但代谢和减重手术（MBS）候选人对其的使用情况尚不清楚。我们旨在识别为MBS筹款的GoFundMe活动，并描述财务压力来源。我们还旨在确定与众筹成功相关的因素。
我们在GoFundMe上搜索为MBS筹款的活动。数据项由两名研究人员提取，如有分歧则由第三名研究人员解决。我们使用有序逻辑回归评估这些数据项与筹集资金类别之间的关联。
我们识别出539个活动，其中33.6%是为袖状胃切除术筹款，24.1%是为Roux-en-Y胃旁路术筹款，2.0%是为胆胰转流十二指肠转位术筹款。大多数活动由患者发起（73.1%），患者有医疗保险（53.4%）且至少有一种肥胖相关疾病（56.8%）。超过一半（53.6%）的活动寻求资金用于直接医疗费用，35.1%的活动寻求资金用于非医疗费用，包括工资损失（15.6%）、食品（10.8%）、交通（10.2%）、儿童保育（7.1%）和/或住房（5.8%）。请求的中位数为8000美元（四分位间距10440），筹集的中位数为860美元（四分位间距3173）。大多数（63.1%）活动筹集的资金不到其请求金额的25%。与未披露这些细节的活动相比，分享心理健康相关疾病的活动（调整后比值比0.55，95%置信区间0.32 - 0.95）和非手术减肥尝试的活动（调整后比值比0.59，95%置信区间0.37 - 0.94）筹集更高类别资金的几率较低。
在美国，寻求MBS的患者利用在线众筹来补贴医疗和非医疗费用，但大多数活动都不成功。我们的研究突出了MBS候选人未满足的财务需求。
