Patients Treated at ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Program Hospitals See Improved Outcomes

Jimenez M, Salehi O, Somasundar P, et al. Impact of American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification Program on Patients Undergoing Major Abdominal Oncologic Operation at a Cancer Center. J Am Coll Surg. 2024, in press.

Discharge to a care institution or location other than a patient’s primary residence occurs in a considerable number of elderly patients (age >65 years) following major abdominal oncologic procedures. This article reported data on the frequency of these outcomes in two cohorts of patients treated before and after implementation of the ACS Geriatric Surgery (GSV) protocols.

The main outcomes of interest were postoperative transfer to a care institution or site other than the patient’s primary residence, determined using the primary residence score or PRS. The control group had 57 patients, and the intervention group had 43 patients; the average age was 76.5 and 75 for the two groups.

The data analysis showed that the GSV group had a significantly shorter hospital stay and were less likely to be discharged to a care institution; in addition, the GSV group had a 72% lower PRS, suggesting a significant reduction in the risk of discharge to a location other than home.

The authors concluded that implementation of the GSV resulted in significant benefits; further studies to determine the mechanisms of these improvements were recommended.