SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Implementation of a Geriatric Comanagement Program for Emergency General Surgery Patients

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This project addressed the growing complexity of surgical care for older adults, who often have multiple comorbidities and higher risk of perioperative complications such as myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury, and delirium. While hospitalist co-management has been successful in areas like orthopedic surgery, the team identified a need to extend this model to emergency general surgery.<br /><br />The goal was to create a co-management program for geriatric patients admitted to the emergency general surgery service by identifying frail patients and triggering hospital medicine consultation. A multidisciplinary workgroup was formed with representation from hospital medicine, emergency general surgery, nursing, pharmacy, and rehabilitation services.<br /><br />The program included several workflow changes: frailty screening for all patients age 65 and older, built into note templates as smart text; an admission order set with a pre-selected inpatient hospital medicine consult; and additional consults to social work, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy.<br /><br />In 2025, the hospital received American College of Surgeons Emergency General Surgery designation, becoming the first hospital in its state and the eleventh nationally to earn this recognition. During the verification process, the geriatric co-management protocol was highlighted as exemplary.<br /><br />The team is now reviewing outcomes such as mortality, unplanned ICU admissions, unplanned return to the operating room, and readmissions to identify further quality improvement opportunities within the co-management model.

Asset Subtitle

Jennifer Caputo-Seidler

Meta Tag

Author List Jennifer Caputo-Seidler

Category Innovations

Concept High-risk Consult

Concept Emergency General Surgery

Concept Frailty

Concept Frailty Screening

Concept Hospital Medicine Consult

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of South Florida

Presenting Author Jennifer Caputo-Seidler

Track Consultative Medicine

Keywords

geriatric surgery

co-management

emergency general surgery

frailty screening

hospital medicine consult

older adults

perioperative complications

multidisciplinary care

quality improvement

ACS designation

High-risk Consult

Emergency General Surgery

Frailty

Frailty Screening

Hospital Medicine Consult