Studying the Workflow of the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Program to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Older Adults Undergoing Surgery at the James Cancer Hospital

This study examines how the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification Program, also called the ACS GSV Program, is implemented at the James Cancer Hospital. The program is designed to improve surgical care for adults age 65 and older by helping care teams identify and address age-related needs before, during, and after surgery. Older adults with cancer may have concerns related to physical function, memory or thinking, medications, social support, and goals of care. If these needs are not recognized, patients may be at higher risk for complications, longer hospital stays, readmission, or discharge to a facility instead of home. The ACS GSV Program includes standards for geriatric surgery leadership, goals-of-care discussions, screening for age-related vulnerabilities, care plans for identified needs, age-friendly perioperative care, and regular review of surgical outcomes. This study will evaluate how well these standards are adopted across surgical oncology services and whether implementation is associated with better outcomes, such as shorter hospital stays, fewer complications, fewer readmissions, and improved discharge outcomes. The results may help improve surgical care workflows for older adults undergoing cancer surgery.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patient records for adults aged 65 years or older
2. Patient records with a surgical encounter or preoperative evaluation within participating James Cancer Hospital surgical oncology services during the rollout period
3. Patient records with data available in institutional electronic health record or institutional data systems
4. Clinical staff age 18 years or older who are employed or credentialed at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and work within clinical areas affected by ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification implementation

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patient records for encounters occurring only at outside institutions or non-James hospitals within the enterprise
2. Patient records missing all primary outcome fields after data quality checks
3. Clinical staff who are trainees, including medical students, physician assistant students, nursing students, resident physicians, or fellows
4. Clinical staff whose employment, visa, or institutional status would make participation sensitive under institutional policy, if applicable