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

Summary

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.

Conditions

• Breast Carcinoma
• Malignant Digestive System Neoplasm
• Malignant Female Reproductive System Neoplasm
• Malignant Genitourinary System Neoplasm
• Malignant Head and Neck Neoplasm
• Malignant Nervous System Neoplasm
• Malignant Solid Neoplasm
• Malignant Thoracic Neoplasm
• Skin Neoplasm
• Soft Tissue Neoplasm
• Central Nervous System Neoplasm
• Endocrine Gland Neoplasms

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Serious Illness Conversation Program training

Surgeons and advanced practice providers complete Serious Illness Conversation Program training to support elicitation and documentation of goals of care for older adults undergoing oncologic surgery.

OTHER

ACS Geriatric Surgery Verification Program Implementation

Implementation of the American College of Surgeons Geriatric Surgery Verification Age-Friendly Level standards across surgical oncology services, supported by tailored implementation strategies informed by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behavior model, Theoretical Domains Framework, and Behavior Change Wheel. Components include goals-of-care documentation workflows, G8 geriatric vulnerability screening, referral pathways for patients with positive screens, age-friendly perioperative care processes, and data surveillance/quality monitoring.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Samilia Obeng-Gyasi, MD, MPH · Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-06-15

Primary Completion

2027-12-31

Completion

2027-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations