ACS Earns Grant to Develop Resources on Cognitive Impairment in Older Surgical Patients

The ACS is a recognized leader in improving care and outcomes for elderly surgical patient, as the home of the evidence-based standards of the ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Program. The College’s ongoing work to improve upon its standard-setting care paradigm was recently recognized by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) as the recipient of a $100,000 grant to promote “Diagnostic Excellence of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment in the Surgical Setting.”

The ACS received the award in a competitive grant program for medical specialty societies to support the development of resources and programs to promote the topic of diagnostic excellence for clinician audiences.

Older adults with cognitive impairment and depression are more likely to face functional impairment and decreased recovery, and current deficits in knowledge increase patients’ delirium risk, a leading postoperative complication for predicting adverse outcomes and high resource use in hospitals.

The ACS aims to develop and disseminate comprehensive educational resources focused on diagnostic excellence of dementia and cognitive impairment in older adults undergoing surgery through education that focuses on accurate, consistent diagnosis and appropriate treatment to promote patient safety.

Plans for produced resources include education materials for providers caring for older adult surgical patients that focus on the accurate diagnoses of dementia and cognitive impairment and the impact on surgical decision-making and the care process; a patient and caregiver brochure regarding what to expect when having surgery; and a session at the 2023 ACS Quality and Safety Conference on the impact of cognitive impairment on surgical decision-making and the care process.