Answer

Before patients could be assessed and be used as study subjects in this research, informed consent had to be obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the medical directors at each sampling facilities and the patients themselves. After receiving appropriate permissions, the qualifying participants were notified appropriately and given information detailing what is expected from them for the purpose of the research study. Identification information such as age, gender, ethnicity and other pertinent data were obtained from the consenting subjects. Those who were included in the study were subjects who were obese and had BMI of more than 30 and had been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus for more than 2 years. Measurements of their Type 2 DM remission parameters were taken before bariatric surgery for later comparison after surgery to assess the remission state or glycemic control after a period of 6 months. The parameters measured included BMI, Hb1AC, Fasting Blood Glucose and current medication use. At the end of the study, a Patient Satisfaction Survey tool was administered to gauge the patient’s overall satisfaction with the research study.

Data Analysis

            The data collected during the study period was loaded into a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet version 14. Each observation was categorized into groups defining the outcome based on the measured parameter such as groups for Hb1AC and BMI. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to determine and generate frequencies tables and percentages to illustrate total number of patients for each category based on data measurements at the end of the 6 months. Similar analysis was done on the comparable data collected before surgery was commenced. Frequencies and percentages of all parameters combined were also generated with bar graphs to provide a visual representation of the effect of the procedure. Comparison table was then drawn using the two sets of data and differences were determined.