Talk Description
Institution: John Hunter Hospital - NSW, Australia
Purpose:
Increasing numbers of comorbid and frail patients are requiring emergency general surgical care in Australia. While evidence supporting integrated geriatric-care exists in other surgical specialties, recent gaps remain in the context of emergency general surgery and patient outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a Surgical Geriatric Service (SGS) on patient quality-of-life outcomes through a controlled before-and-after study.
Methodology:
A controlled before-and-after study was conducted over a 12-month period. Patients who met the pre-determined geriatric inclusion criteria were enrolled in the study and received proactive consultation from a Geriatrician during the 6-month intervention phase. Participants completed two quality-of-life questionnaires (EQ-5D-5L and WHO-DAS) at discharge, 3-6 and 12-18 months post-discharge. Additionally, a patient satisfaction survey (AHPEQS) was completed.
Results:
Control and intervention groups included approximately 400 participants respectively. At 3-months post discharge, EQ-5D-5L demonstrated improvement in various quality-of-life domains in the SGS intervention group. Improvements were noted in mobility scores, self-care, pain and activities of daily living. AHPEQs demonstrated that patient satisfaction was comparable between groups. WHO-DAS analysis and completion of the 12-18 month time point is still underway.
Conclusion:
Current data demonstrates that introduction of the SGS improved key quality-of-life outcomes for geriatric patients undergoing emergency general surgical admission. Further insights are anticipated with completion of the 12-month time-point and analysis of the WHO-DAS questionnaire.
Presenters
Authors
Authors
Dr Henry Logan - , Dr Ashleigh Phillips - , Prof Elizabeth Holliday - , Prof Jonathan Gani - , Dr Clarissa Sagi - , A/Prof Christine O'Neill -