IFSO-APC Training Centers Application Guidelines

PREMISE

IFSO APC wants to make sure that only qualified Centres act as Training Centres in bariatric and metabolic surgery, therefore, in order to be defined "Approved Training Facility" (ATF) a center has to apply to IFSO APC and fulfill the following requirements.

  1. CENTRE'S REQUIREMENTS
    1. Centres should be performing at least 120 cases of bariatric surgeries per year and should have performed more than 500 cases before applying to become IFSO-APC Training Center.
    2. A Training Center should have access to endoscopic management of bariatric cases and training of it.
    3. A Training Center must provide both Only Gastric and Gastrointestinal Bariatric procedures.
    4. A Training Center must have a multidisciplinary team which includes case manager, dietitian, psychologist, fitness coach as well as other specialties doctors as and when needed and conducts regular support group meetings. These team members should have the ability to impart education.
    5. A Training Center must have standard training programs and guidelines for their trainees which have been approved by the IFSO APC Training Committee.
    6. A Training Center must have had at least five scientific publications or presentations for bariatric & metabolic surgery in international Peer Reviewed journals or at an international congress. At least, two papers or presentations should be in the last 2 years before applying as a Training Center.
    7. Training Centers may conduct fellowship programs and workshops. Only approved training centers can provide IFSO-APC certified fellowship and workshop.
    8. Workshop, Clinical Immersion and Fellowship program are listed as standard programs offered by IFSO-APC Training Centers.
  2. Training Workshop
  3. Duration 3/5 days. Should include below practices:

    • Didactic Educational Session regarding bariatric/metabolic surgery
    • Live surgery or video education for bariatric procedures
    • Animal lab or cadaver lab as optional part of the course
    • All workshops must include at least one IFSO APC approved trainer as faculty
    • All live Surgery courses must follow IFSO guidelines on live Surgery
  4. Clinical Immersion
  5. Duration: 1 month. Should include below practice:

    • Observational training minimum 4 weeks
    • Lectures from multi-disciplinary team
    • Fellows are expected to participate in regular bariatric multidisciplinary conferences
    • Scrub in for surgery - Optional depending on the center
    • Daily ward rounds
  6. Clinical fellowship
  7. Duration: 3-6-12 Months. Should include below practice:

    1. Observational and clinical hands on training
    2. Fellows are expected to have at least 30 cases of exposure to bariatric/metabolic surgery in a 3 months period
    3. Lectures from multi-disciplinary team
    4. Fellows are expected to participate in regular bariatric multidisciplinary conferences. It is recommended to attend at least one patient support group and one patient educational seminar.
    5. Fellows are expected to submit at least one clinical and/or research presentation during the fellowship to a national or international conference and/or journal
      N.B. Local License to assist and practice should be provided by the centers. IFSO-APC Training committee is not involved in any license and legal issues.
  8. Only IFSO-APC Training Committee can designate the center as a "IFSO-APC Approved Training Facility" and its program. Certificates issued shall have the stamp of IFSO APC.
  9. IFSO-APC approval for Training Centers is designated for five years and the centers should send their updated numbers and documents before the end of the fifth year. At that time, a new site inspection is needed.
  10. The application for the Centre to be defined an "Approved Training Facility" starts with an online submission of documents signed by the Facility Head and Bariatric Surgeon to the IFSO APC Secretariat and needs audition of documents as well as a site visit by one of the members of the Training Committee. All documents supporting the application have to be submitted and verified before the site Inspection.
  11. Application process
    1. IFSO APC Secretariat will call for applications among IFSO APC members and will receive the online applications, based on the "Application Guidelines" written and approved by the Training Committee.
    2. Applications are open only to IFSO APC members in good standing living in countries of the IFSO APC.
  12. Fees
  13. site inspection fee: 1,000 USD$ (honorarium to the Inspector) + travel* (economy class) + /1 or 2 nights in a 5 star hotel** + transportation expenses at applicant's charge.

    The inspector will book his/her own flight and the applying Facility will reimburse him/her directly.

    IFSO APC will inform the inspector about the max amount to be spent for the flight, according to the number of hours of flight.

    ** The applying Facility will book the room in a 5 star hotel (4 star if not available) for 1 or 2 nights (usually the night after the inspection so that the inspector can stay also the day after to finish the inspection if he/she didn't finish it in 1 day).

    application fee: 1,500 USD$ to be paid to start the application; it doesn't guarantee approval.

    Upon payment of application fees, applicant achieves a "Provisional Status".

    The administrative fee has to be paid directly to IFSO APC at the moment of application.

    If the Facility is not approved, this fee will be refunded.

    IFSO APC will keep only 200 USD$ for administrative and bank fees.

    No ongoing fee will be charged.

    After 5 years, in order to keep the status of "Approved Training Facility", the centre will be charged a renewal fee of 1,500 USD$ + onsite inspection fee (1,000 USD$).

  14. Site inspection
    1. The Inspector will be a member of the Training Committee who is not from the country of application (possibly from the geographically closest country) and will be decided, by rota, amongst the members of the Committee, unless that member has prior commitments and shows an inability to be available for inspection.
    2. The site inspection fee must be paid by the Centre to IFSO APC before the site inspection can be scheduled.
      The applicant is responsible for arranging and paying directly for the site inspector’s travel, hotel and ground transportation. These items are not included in the site inspection fee. Inspector’s honorarium will then be paid by IFSO APC to the Inspector.
    3. Applicants will prepare for their on-site inspection, and then notify IFSO APC secretariat that they are prepared for their inspection.
      The purpose of the site inspection process is to verify compliance with program requirements and prepare the Site Inspection Report.
    4. When a Center is approved by the Training Committee, IFSO APC secretariat will notify the applicants they have earned approval.
      If a Center is not approved, they are given the opportunity to correct any deficiencies and be reconsidered for approval.
    5. Approval remains in place as long as a center is in good standing and in verifiable compliance with all current requirements and other program criteria. To verify compliance, designees are evaluated annually, and a site inspection is performed every five years.
    6. Inspector should be informed by the committee at least 2 months before departure for site inspection, and arrange his/her schedules subsequently. Inspector should inform the center 1 month before the inspection.
    7. Inspector could inspect all the charts and medical information provided by the center, but need to follow the ethic principle of patient’s right and privacy.
    8. Inspector should finish the site inspection process in one day (8hrs) starting from 8:30 AM till 17:30 pm, which includes one hour for the lunch break.
    9. To receive any gift or money from a center is absolutely prohibited, and if it is discovered by the committee, the future assignment of this inspector will be suspended or even cancelled. Otherwise, local transportation, pick-up and food could be provided by the center.
    10. The Inspector’s honorarium will be paid by IFSO-APC. The pay will be transferred by wire bank transfer within one month after the inspection and upon receipt of the inspector's report. The inspector needs to provide a report about the Inspection within 2 weeks to enable the Committee to take a final decision.
  15. Data in IFSO Registry In order to collect more and more data from the Region, it is compulsory for the approved Training Centres to submit their data into the IFSO Registry (free of charge).
  16. A proof of the submission must be provided within 8 weeks after the approval

If you are an IFSO APC member in good standing, living in countries of the IFSO APC, and you want your Bariatric Centre to be defined "IFSO APC Approved Training Facility" (ATF), please look at the Application Guidelines and see if your centre fulfills the minimal requirements.

If so, please fill in the Application Form and send it to secretariat@ifso.com

Manuela Mazzarella
IFSO Chief Operating Officer
Rione Sirignano, 5
80121 Naples – Italy

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