Overview

• Sixty-three percent of patients aged 66 and older presented serious, life-limiting conditions before major elective surgery, according to the Journal of the American College of Surgeons study published July 24.
• Older adults with serious illness had hospital stays twice as long and were twice as likely to return to the hospital or emergency department compared with peers without serious illness.
• Adjusted one-year health care costs averaged $38,187 for seriously ill patients versus $20,129 for those without serious illness.
• Among key palliative care indicators—pain, depression, functional dependence and need for a care partner—preoperative depression showed the strongest link to increased resource use and costs.
• Study authors recommend a generalist palliative care model by training surgeons in core palliative principles to improve outcomes and manage resource burdens.