Time savings and accuracy of a simulated flexible and conditional administration of the MMPI-2-RF in presurgical psychological evaluations of bariatric surgery candidates.

• An FCA method of the MMPI-2-RF provides similar information as a full administration. • Time savings are 40% to 80% depending on the number of MMPI-2-RF domains administered. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) has empirically validated utility in presurgical psychological evaluations of bariatric surgery patients. However, clinicians may prefer shorter, symptom-focused measures. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the feasibility and potential administration time savings of a proposed flexible and conditional (FCA) administration of the MMPI-2-RF in presurgical evaluations of bariatric surgery candidates. Bariatric surgery candidates evaluated at a large hospital as well as a private practice in the Midwest. MMPI-2-RF scores were available for a total of 4099 adult bariatric surgery candidates from 2 separate samples. The hospital sample included 911 males and 2430 females. The average BMI was 49.3 kg/m² (SD = 11.0). The private practice sample included 105 males, 640 females, and 13 individuals who did not report gender. The average BMI was 48.8 kg/m² (SD = 8.4). The authors used a simulation design in which existing MMPI-2-RF responses were used to simulate an FCA administration. The findings indicated that an FCA of the MMPI-2-RF closely approximates the amount of information typically gained from a full administration of the test in the 2 samples of bariatric surgery candidates. Items savings and estimated time savings ranged from 44% to 88% in both samples, depending on the number of conditionally administered scales. The present study supports the feasibility of an FCA of the MMPI-2-RF, potentially shortening administration time and reducing patient burden. However, the findings are limited because the accuracy and time savings are based on a simulation, not actual FCA administrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]