American College of Surgeons Releases Checklist to Help Older Adults Prepare for Surgery

CHICAGO — Surgery can be daunting for people of any age, but for older adults, there are even more considerations necessary to ensure high-quality surgical care and positive outcomes. In fact, patients 65 years and older account for more than 40% of all inpatient operations. 

To help these patients navigate the complexities of preparing for surgery, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has created a patient checklist for older surgical patients, families, and caregivers. 

“Older adults sometimes require a much more in-depth assessment to reduce the risk of problems such as delirium, longer length-of-stays, and other complications,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. “This checklist is grounded in the evidence-based standards of our Geriatric Surgery Verification Program and can help both patients and providers ensure high-quality care and likely better outcomes.” 

The questions on the checklist help foster more detailed conversations between patients, families, caregivers, and the surgical teams about the benefits and risks of surgery, how to minimize the chances of postoperative delirium, and what patients can expect during recovery. 

The ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Program was specifically created to help hospitals address the unique needs of older adults and is based on 32 surgical standards. These standards detail the principles regarding necessary resources, quality improvement and safety processes, data collection, and a verification process. Patients can search for hospitals verified by the GSV program. 

“Hospitals that are verified by our GSV program have shown the commitment to delivering the highest quality surgical care to older adult patients,” Dr. Ko said. “Patients can feel confident at a GSV hospital, knowing the care team is thoroughly attending to the key aspects of their care and, as much as possible, achieving optimal outcomes for them.”   

The free checklist can be used by any patient receiving care at any hospital.  

Access the Geriatric Surgery Patient Checklist and learn more about the GSV program.  

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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