Article: The Elderly Are Getting Complex Surgeries. Often It Doesn’t End Well
The New York Times has published an article, "The Elderly Are Getting Complex Surgeries. Often It Doesn’t End Well."
Complication rates are high among the oldest patients. The article discusses how a surgeons’ group is accrediting hospitals for standards for operating on the elderly. "Hence, the college’s new geriatric surgery verification program, to be unveiled next month at a conference in Washington, D.C., after four years of planning and research. It sets 30 standards that hospitals should meet to improve results for older patients." The group is called Coalition for Quality in Geriatric Surgery, and is supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation and the American College of Surgeons.
Hospitals will begin applying for verification in October, a team will visit each applying hospital, giving verified sites "an assurance to patients and families that the best possible surgical care will be provided."
Image: Stuart Briers, New York Times
To read the article, click here.
To learn more about the Coalition for Quality in Geriatric Surgery, click here.
To learn more about JAHF's funding, click here.