Why the study?
Older adults present with complexity predisposing them to adverse postoperative outcomes, yet inequalities exist across the United Kingdom in waiting times, geographic surgical care provision, and comorbidity management.
Addressing inequalities in perioperative care for older adults requires a multi-faceted approach including Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and systemic healthcare changes.
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May prompt targeted equity screening in older surgical patients; leaves open effective strategies to reduce UK disparities.
Older adults constitute a large proportion of patients undergoing surgery and present with complexity, predisposing them to adverse postoperative outcomes. Inequalities exist in the provision of surgical care across the United Kingdom evidenced by increased waiting times in areas of social deprivation, a disparity in the provision of surgical care across geographic locations as well as a variation in the medical management of comorbidities in surgical patients. Addressing inequalities in the delivery of perioperative care for older adults necessitates a multi-faceted approach. It requires implementation of an evidence-based approach to optimisation of older surgical adults using Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and optimisation methodology at scale, development of an age-attuned, flexible, transdisciplinary workforce, a restructuring of funding to commission services addressing the needs of the older surgical population and a change in culture and professional and public understanding of the needs of the older surgical patient.
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Thirunavukarasu et al. (2024) studied this question.