ABSTRACT
Aims Based on our meta-analysis, surveys and qualitative studies of geriatricians in Australia and New Zealand, we designed and implemented a novel inpatient model to co-manage older vascular surgical inpatients at a tertiary academic hospital in Sydney. This model, called Geriatrics co-management of older vascular surgery patients (Gerico-V), embedded a geriatrician into the vascular surgery unit who introduced a range of interventions targeting older people. Here we evaluated this model of care. Methods We undertook a prospective before-and-after study of consecutive patients aged ≥65 years admitted under vascular surgery. One hundred and fifty-two GeriCO-V patients were compared with 150 patients in the pre- GeriCO-V group. The primary outcomes were hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes, delirium, and length of stay. Results The GeriCO-V group had more frail (43% vs 30%), urgently admitted (47% vs 37%), and non-operative patients (34% vs 22%). These differences were attributed to COVID-19. GeriCO-V patients had fewer hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes (49% vs 65%;P =.005) and incident delirium (3% vs 10%;P = .02), in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Cardiac (5% vs 20%;P <.001) and infective complications (3% vs 8%];P = .04) were fewer in the GeriCO-V group. LOS was unchanged. Frail patients in the GeriCO-V group experienced significantly less geriatric syndromes and delirium. Conclusions The Gerico-V model of care led to reductions in hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes, delirium, and cardiac and infective complications. These benefits were seen in frail patients. The intervention requires close collaboration between surgeons and geriatricians, and may be translated to other surgical specialties.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the impact of a novel model of care called Geriatric Comanagement of Older Vascular surgery inpatients on clinical outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A pre-post study of geriatric comanagement, comparing prospectively recruited preintervention (February-October 2019) and prospectively recruited postintervention (January-December 2020) cohorts. Consecutively admitted vascular surgery patients age ≥65 years at a tertiary academic hospital in Concord and with an expected length of stay (LOS) greater than 2 days were recruited. INTERVENTION: A comanagement model where a geriatrician was embedded within the vascular surgery team and delivered proactive comprehensive geriatric assessment based interventions. METHODS: Primary outcomes of incidence of hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes, delirium, and LOS were compared between groups using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Prespecified subgroup analysis was performed by frailty status. RESULTS: There were 150 patients in the preintervention group and 152 patients in the postintervention group. The postintervention group were more frail [66 (43.4%) vs 45 (30.0%)], urgently admitted [72 (47.4%) vs 56 (37.3%)], and nonoperatively managed [52 (34.2%) vs 33 (22.0%)]. These differences were attributed to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic during the postintervention phase. The postintervention group had fewer hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes [74 (48.7%) vs 97 (64.7%); P = .005] and reduced incident delirium [5 (3.3%) vs 15 (10.0%); P = .02], in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Cardiac [8 (5.3%) vs 30 (20.0%); P < .001] and infective complications [4 (2.6%) vs 12 (8.0%); P = .04] were also fewer. LOS was unchanged. Frail patients in the postintervention group experienced significantly fewer geriatric syndromes including delirium. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This is the first prospective study of inpatient geriatric comanagement for older vascular surgery patients. Reductions in hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes including delirium, and cardiac and infective complications were observed after implementing geriatric comanagement. These benefits were also demonstrated in the frail subgroup.