Does outcomes research impact quality? Examples from bariatric surgery

This manuscript addresses the question "Does outcomes research affect quality?" using examples from the field of bariatric surgery. The roles that outcomes research has played in each of the four major recent events in bariatric surgery are examined. In the first three major events, which include 1) the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Bariatric Surgery in 1991, 2) the dramatic increase in numbers of bariatric operations performed, and 3) the move toward a laparoscopic approach in bariatric surgery, a multitude of outcomes studies seem to be the result, but not the cause, of these changes in the field of bariatric surgery. However, for the most recent event, the 2006 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Coverage Determination for bariatric surgery and the introduction of accreditation in general surgery, outcomes research has played a significant role in the determination of policy and, ultimately, quality.