ICE Overview
Following the success of the ASMBS Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® (BSCOE) program, SRC received numerous requests for a center of excellence program to designate surgeons and hospitals outside of the United States and Canada.
In response, SRC created the International Center of Excellence for Bariatric Surgery (ICE) program to evaluate bariatric surgical practices around the world. Leading bariatric surgeons in Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific govern the ICE program in their respective regions.
The ICE program ensures that the safest, highest quality of care is delivered to bariatric and metabolic surgery patients worldwide, regardless of where they choose to have their procedure performed.
ICE Designation
Designations Awarded in Tandem
IFSO Endorsement
Comprehensive Requirements
BOLD
Getting Started and Program Support
ICE Designation
The ICE program is not a modified version of another specialty’s designation. Instead, it reflects the specific needs of obese patients and the unique roles and responsibilities of bariatric and metabolic surgery providers.
Bariatric surgeons and hospitals throughout the world are eligible for the ICE program. SRC recognized its first ICE designees in 2009, and numerous providers are currently pursuing the designation.
Designations Awarded in Tandem
Truly excellent patient care is the result of both the individual surgeon and the facility at which the surgery is performed. The ICE designation is therefore awarded together to the surgeon and their hospital, which enables patients to distinguish providers who have met the requirements for delivering high-quality perioperative and long-term follow-up care.
IFSO Endorsement
SRC’s ICE program is endorsed by the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), which represents more than 40 national associations of bariatric surgeons. The endorsement indicates that the ICE program meets IFSO’s standards for the implementation of bariatric and metabolic surgery guidelines for safe and efficient patient care.
Comprehensive Requirements
SRC has worked with the world’s leading bariatric and metabolic societies and other stakeholders to develop objective requirements and evaluation processes. A commitment to long-term patient care and success necessitates that the requirements for ICE designation be comprehensive, research-based and verified through a rigorous site inspection.
The 10 requirements for ICE designation, which have been recognized for their universal applicability, are as follows:
- Institutional Commitment to Excellence
- Surgical Experience and Volumes
- Designated Medical Director
- Responsive Critical Care Support
- Appropriate Equipment and Instruments
- Surgeon Dedication and Qualified Call Coverage
- Clinical Pathways and Standardized Operating Procedures
- Bariatric Nurses, Physician Extenders and Program Coordinator
- Patient Support Groups
- Long-Term Patient Follow-up, including BOLD
However, when it comes to designating centers of excellence for bariatric surgery around the world, one size does not fit all. For example, board certification varies from country to country. SRC recognizes that each world region is unique and makes accommodations as appropriate.
BOLD
SRC created the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database (BOLD) to help ensure ongoing compliance with the center of excellence programs it administers and develop general knowledge about optimal bariatric surgery practices. Established in 2007, BOLD is now the world’s largest repository of clinical bariatric surgery patient information, with more than 300,000 patients currently in the database and 12,000 new patients added monthly.
Compared to other clinical registries, BOLD is distinct in that data is collected during each patient encounter and can be accessed in real-time. BOLD is also uniquely focused on patient care, weight loss and comorbidity resolution over the long term, not just on 30-day surgical outcomes.
Surgeons who participate in BOLD own their data and have access to numerous daily reports that contain detailed information about their surgical practice. Learn more about the database, its benefits and how to access information for research in the BOLD section.
While the laws and regulations governing the collection and electronic transmission of patient information vary from country to country, SRC anticipates that all ICE participants will ultimately be able to input their data into BOLD. Learn more about BOLD activation and approvals that enable ICE participants to enter patient information into BOLD.
Getting Started and Program Support
The first step in the ICE designation process is to register, which typically takes only a few minutes.
To help guide applicants through the application process, SRC offers surgeons and facilities the opportunity to schedule a free, one-on-one consultation with an SRC Support team member. During this phone call, SRC Support will explain how to best prepare for and complete the application for the ICE program.
In addition, SRC Support maintains a help line for ICE participants. A support team member is available Monday – Friday from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm Eastern time at +1.919.792.3770 or via email at srcsupport@surgicalreview.org (srcsupport null@null surgicalreview NULL.org).