Evaluation of Internal Medicine Physician or Multidisciplinary Team Comanagement of Surgical Patients and Clinical Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Predicting perioperative myocardial injury/infarction after noncardiac surgery in patients under surgical and medical co-management: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Perioperative myocardial injury/infarction (PMI) following noncardiac surgery is a frequent cardiac complication. This study aims to evaluate PMI risk and explore preoperative assessment tools of PMI in patients at increased cardiovascular (CV) risk who underwent noncardiac surgery under the surgical and medical co-management (SMC) model.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study that included consecutive patients at increased CV risk who underwent intermediate- or high-risk noncardiac surgery at the Second Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, between January 2017 and December 2022. All patients were treated with perioperative management by the SMC team. The SMC model was initiated when surgical intervention was indicated and throughout the entire perioperative period. The incidence, risk factors, and impact of PMI on 30-day mortality were analyzed. The ability of the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI), frailty, and their combination to predict PMI was evaluated.

RESULTS

613 eligible patients (mean [standard deviation, SD] age 73.3[10.9] years, 94.6% male) were recruited consecutively. Under SMC, PMI occurred in 24/613 patients (3.9%). Patients with PMI had a higher rate of 30-day mortality than patients without PMI (29.2% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.00). The FRAIL Scale for frailty was independently associated with an increased risk for PMI (odds ratio = 5.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.34-14.93; p = 0.00). The RCRI demonstrated adequate discriminatory capacity for predicting PMI (area under the curve [AUC], 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.88). Combining frailty with the RCRI further increased the accuracy of predicting PMI (AUC, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81-0.93).

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of PMI was relatively low in high CV risk patients undergoing intermediate- or high-risk noncardiac surgery under SMC. The RCRI adequately predicted PMI. Combining frailty with the RCRI further increased the accuracy of PMI predictions, achieving excellent discriminatory capacity. These findings may aid personalized evaluation and management of high-risk patients who undergo intermediate- or high-risk noncardiac surgery.

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of the Impact of Surgeon-Physician Co-management Models on Short Term Outcomes for Vascular Surgery Inpatients

OBJECTIVE

As the population ages, vascular surgeons are treating progressively older, multimorbid patients at risk of peri-operative complications. An embedded physician has been shown to improve outcomes in general and orthopaedic surgery. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the impact of surgeon-physician co-management models on morbidity and mortality rates in vascular inpatients.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Scopus, Embase, conference abstract listings, and clinical trial registries.

REVIEW METHODS

Studies comparing adult vascular surgery inpatients under co-management with standard of care were eligible. The relative risks (RRs) of death, medical complications, and 30 day re-admission between co-management and standard care were calculated. The effect of co-management on the mean length of stay was calculated using weighted means. Risk of bias was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomised Studies, and certainty assessment with the GRADE analysis tools.

RESULTS

No randomised controlled trials were identified. Eight single institution studies between 2011 and 2020 with 7 410 patients were included. All studies were observational using before-after methodology. Studies were of high to moderate risk of bias, and outcomes were of very low GRADE certainty of evidence. Co-management was associated with a statistically significant lower relative risk of death (RR 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44 - 0.92; p = .02), cardiac complications (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.25 - 0.87; p = .02), and infective complications (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.35 - 0.67; p < .001) in vascular inpatients. No statistically significant differences in length of stay (standard mean difference -0.6 days, 95% CI -1.44 - 0.24 days; p = .16) and 30 day re-admission (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.84 - 1.08; p = .49) were noted.

CONCLUSION

Early results of physician and surgeon co-management for vascular surgery inpatients showed promising results from very low certainty data. Further well designed, prospective studies are needed to determine how to maximise the impact of physicians within a vascular service to improve patient outcomes while using hospital resources effectively.

Comparison of laparoscopic and open inguinal-hernia repair in elderly patients: the experience of two comprehensive medical centers over 10 years

PURPOSE

The safety of laparoscopic inguinal-hernia repair must be carefully evaluated in elderly patients. Very little is known regarding the safety of the laparoscopic approach in elderly patients under surgical and medical co-management (SMC). Therefore, this study evaluated the safety of the laparoscopic approach in elderly patients, especially patients with multiple comorbidities under SMC.

METHODS

From January 2012 to December 2021, patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent open or laparoscopic inguinal-hernia repair during hospitalization were consecutively enrolled. Postoperative outcomes included major and minor operation-related complications, and other adverse events. To reduce potential selection bias, propensity score matching was performed between open and laparoscopic groups based on patients' demographics and comorbidities.

RESULTS

A total of 447 elderly patients who underwent inguinal-hernia repair were enrolled, with 408 (91.3%) underwent open and 39 (8.7%) laparoscopic surgery. All postoperative outcomes were comparable between open and laparoscopic groups after 1:1 propensity score matching (all p > 0.05). Moreover, compared to the traditional care group (n = 360), a higher proportion of the SMC group (n = 87) was treated via the laparoscopic approach (18.4% vs. 6.4%, p = 0.00). In the laparoscopic approach subgroup (n = 39), patients in the SMC group (n = 16) were older with multiple comorbidities but were at higher risks of only minor operation-related complications, compared to those in the traditional care group.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic inguinal-hernia repair surgery is safe for elderly patients, especially those with multiple comorbidities under SMC.

Postoperative protocols for older adults undergoing emergency surgery: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

As the population of older adults expands, it is becoming increasingly crucial to develop perioperative protocols to meet their physiologic, functional, and cognitive demands after emergency surgery. We sought to identify protocols that improve the disposition, length of stay, and overall health outcomes of older adults undergoing emergency intracavitary, noncardiac surgery.

METHODS

Embase, Cochrane, and MEDLINE databases were searched, and results were deduplicated and uploaded to Covidence. We reviewed studies for postoperative interventions that reduced delirium, maintained functional status, and reduced length of stay in older patients undergoing emergency surgery. We included studies involving patients aged 65 years and older undergoing emergency intracavitary, noncardiac surgeries. Abstracts and full texts were reviewed by 2 reviewers. Data were extracted on the postoperative interventions used and the resulting patient outcomes.

RESULTS

We included 6 studies, which involved patients undergoing emergency general, urology, and vascular surgery. Interventions included a multidisciplinary approach, early involvement of a geriatrician or hospitalist, targeted geriatric-led ward rounds, unique postoperative order sets, and volunteer-driven activities. Standard care included early removal of lines, early mobility, optimal hydration, and medication review. These interventions were associated with decreased length of stay, decreased postoperative complications, and increased likelihood of disposition to home and previous functional status. Frailty was correlated with worse outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Through multidisciplinary interventions, a successful postoperative protocol for older patients undergoing emergency surgery is helpful for improving patient outcomes. The implications of these findings will help guide our own quality-improvement initiative to improve these outcomes in this patient population at our institution.

Surgical and medical co-management optimizes surgical outcomes in older patients with chronic diseases undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy

INTRODUCTION

While robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RRP) is a standard mode for localized prostate cancer (PC), the risk of complications in older patients with chronic diseases and complex medical conditions can be a deterrent to surgery. Surgical and medical co-management (SMC) is a new strategy to improve patients' healthcare outcomes in surgical settings.

METHODS

We reviewed the clinical data of older patients with chronic diseases who were cared for with SMC undergoing RRP in our hospital in the past 3 years and compared them with the clinical data from the general urology ward. Preoperative conditions and related indicators of recovery, and incidence of postoperative complications with the Clavien Grade System were compared between these two groups.

RESULTS

The indicators of recovery were significantly better, and the incidence rates of complications were significantly reduced in the SMC group at grades I-IV (p < 0.05), as compared to the general urology ward group.

CONCLUSIONS

The provision of care by SMC for older patients focused on early identification, comorbidity management, preoperative optimization, and collaborative management would significantly improve surgical outcomes. The SMC strategy is worthy of further clinical promotion in RRP treatment in older men with chronic diseases and complex medical conditions.

Effect of Active Surgical Co-Management by Medical Hospitalists in Urology Inpatient Care: A Retrospective Cohort Study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the use of active surgical co-management (SCM) by medical hospitalists for urology inpatient care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Since March 2019, a hospitalist-SCM program was implemented at a tertiary-care medical center, and a retrospective cohort study was conducted among co-managed urology inpatients. We assessed the clinical outcomes of urology inpatients who received SCM and compared passive SCM (co-management of patients by hospitalists only on request; March 2019 to June 2020) with active SCM (co-management of patients based on active screening by hospitalists; July 2020 to October 2021). We also evaluated the perceptions of patients who received SCM toward inpatient care quality, safety, and subjective satisfaction with inpatient care at discharge or when transferred to other wards.

RESULTS

We assessed 525 patients. Compared with the passive SCM group (n=205), patients in the active SCM group (n=320) required co-management for a significantly shorter duration (p=0.012) and tended to have a shorter length of stay at the urology ward (p=0.062) and less frequent unplanned readmissions within 30 days of discharge (p=0.095) while triggering significantly fewer events of rapid response team activation (p=0.002). No differences were found in the proportion of patients transferred to the intensive care unit, in-hospital mortality rates, or inpatient care questionnaire scores.

CONCLUSION

Active surveillance and co-management of urology inpatients by medical hospitalists can improve the quality and efficacy of inpatient care without compromising subjective inpatient satisfaction.

Hospitalist Co-Management of Urethroplasty Patients in an Academic Center: Implementation of a Standardized Postoperative Care Model

Objectives: to evaluate whether hospitalist co-management would lead to improved outcomes and value in patients undergoing urethroplasty (UPL) with a single surgeon for urethral stricture disease (USD). Material: A co-management model with hospitalists was introduced in August 2019 for all patients undergoing UPL for USD with a single surgeon in a United States teaching center. The hospitalist worked closely with the urologic surgeon and the support staff. The hospitalist managed post-operative concerns, such as pain and comorbidities, as well as conducted rounds with the urological team for disposition planning and addressing interdisciplinary needs. Retrospective analysis compared a 42-month period before initiation of co-management (Jan 2016–July 2019) with a 32-month period after initiation (Aug 2019–March 2022). Outcomes assessed were recurrence of stricture, complications, length of stay, readmission, and emergency room visits. Results: A total of 135 patients (71 surgeon-managed, 64 co-managed) underwent urethroplasty from January 2016 to March 2022. Hospitalist co-management did not affect complications, length of stay, readmission, and emergency room visits. Accounting for confounding variables using multivariable analysis, no factors were independently associated with recurrence. There were no demographic, comorbidity, or American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score differences between the two groups. Conclusions: This study suggests that hospitalist care for patients undergoing urethroplasty may be non-inferior to surgeon care, based on similar outcomes between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the total length of stay or blood pressure readings, and the complication rates and hospital readmission rates were also similar.

Is there a role for referral of high-risk patients seen in preoperative medical consultation for postoperative inpatient follow-up?

The potential benefit of referring select high-risk surgical patients who are seen during a preoperative medical consultation for postoperative inpatient medical follow-up is uncertain. Over a seven-year period, our internal medicine perioperative clinic referred 5% of 4642 preoperative consults for postoperative follow-up. A retrospective chart review found that although reasons for referral were heterogeneous, those assessed by the medical consult team postoperatively were more comorbid, had more adverse medical complications and had longer hospital admissions compared to those not referred. Physicians were best able to predict adverse cardiac and diabetes-related complications. Half of the patients who were referred for postoperative assessment were lost to follow-up, and there was a trend towards increased hospital readmissions in this group. Further research is required to identify the subset of patients who might benefit from postoperative inpatient medical assessment.

Physician Leadership in the Employed Universe

Physicians are increasingly becoming employed by hospitals and health systems. While associated with less professional autonomy, such employment offers physicians the opportunity to become leaders within a vertically integrated healthcare environment. Multidisciplinary care teams, led by physician champions, can impact care for a large swath of patients and establish clinical excellence. Successful teams can improve outcomes, increase professional satisfaction, and potentially set physicians on a path to becoming leaders within their health system.

Internal medicine physician embedded in an orthopedic service in a level 1 hospital: clinical impact

BACKGROUND

The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of an internist physician specialized in diabetes, appointed as an in-house physician in the orthopedic wards, on improving clinical outcomes and in particular 30-day mortality.

METHODS

We analyzed a cohort of patients hospitalized more than 24 h in the orthopedic service. The analyses included a comparative analysis between the pre- and post-intervention time periods and an interrupted time series (ITS) analysis, which were conducted in stratification to three populations: whole population, patients with at least one chronic disease and/or older than 75 years of age and patients diagnosed with diabetes. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality following the hospitalization.

RESULTS

A total of 11,546 patients were included in the study, of which 19% (2212) were hospitalized in the post intervention period. Although in the comparative analysis there was no significant change in 30-day mortality, in the ITS there was a decrease in the mortality trend during the post intervention period in the entire and chronic disease/elderly populations, compared to no change during the pre-intervention period: a post-intervention slope of - 0.14(p value < 0.001) and  - 0.11(p value = 0.03), respectively. Additionally, we found decrease in length of stay, increase in transfers to the internal medicine department with a negative trend, increase in HbA1c testing during the hospitalization and changes in diabetes drugs administration.

CONCLUSION

The presence of an internist in the orthopedic wards is associated with health care improvement; decrease in the 30-day mortality trend, decrease in length of stay, increase in HbA1c testing during the hospitalization and an increase in diabetes drugs administration.

Hospitalist Co-management of a Vascular Surgery Service Improves Quality Outcomes and Reduces Cost

INTRODUCTION

Hospitalists can be instrumental in management of inpatients with multiple comorbidities requiring complex medical care such as vascular surgery patients, as well as an expertise in health care delivery. We instituted a unique hospitalist co-management program and assessed length of stay, 30-day readmission rates and mortality, and performed an overall cost-analysis.

METHODS

Hospitalist co-management of vascular surgery inpatients was implemented beginning April 2019, and data was studied until March 2020. We compared this data to an eight-month period prior to implementing co-management (7/2018 - 3/2019). Patient-related outcomes that were assessed include length of stay, re-admission index, mortality index, case-mix index. Cost-analysis was performed to look at indirect and direct cost of care.

RESULTS

A total of 1,062 patients were included in the study 520 pre co-management and 542 patients were post-comanagement. Baseline case-mix index was 2.47, and post-comanagement was 2.46 (p>0.05). In terms of average length of stay (aLOS), the baseline aLOS was 5.16 days per patient, while after co-management it was significantly decreased by 1.25 days to 3.91 days (p<0.05). This improvement in length of stay opened an average of 2.4 telemetry beds per day. Similarly, excess days per patient which reflects the expected length of stay based on comorbidities, improved from -0.59 to -1.65, an improvement of -1.46.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospitalist co-management improves outcomes for vascular surgery inpatients, decreases length of stay, re-admission and mortality while providing a significant cost-savings. The overall average variable direct cost decreased by $1,732 per patient.

CONCLUSION

Hospitalist co-management improves outcomes for vascular surgery inpatients, decreases length of stay, re-admission and mortality while providing a significant cost-savings.

Geriatric Comanagement of Older Vascular Surgery Inpatients Reduces Hospital-Acquired Geriatric Syndromes

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluates the impact of a novel model of care called Geriatric Comanagement of Older Vascular surgery inpatients on clinical outcomes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A pre-post study of geriatric comanagement, comparing prospectively recruited preintervention (February-October 2019) and prospectively recruited postintervention (January-December 2020) cohorts. Consecutively admitted vascular surgery patients age ≥65 years at a tertiary academic hospital in Concord and with an expected length of stay (LOS) greater than 2 days were recruited.

INTERVENTION

A comanagement model where a geriatrician was embedded within the vascular surgery team and delivered proactive comprehensive geriatric assessment based interventions.

METHODS

Primary outcomes of incidence of hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes, delirium, and LOS were compared between groups using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Prespecified subgroup analysis was performed by frailty status.

RESULTS

There were 150 patients in the preintervention group and 152 patients in the postintervention group. The postintervention group were more frail [66 (43.4%) vs 45 (30.0%)], urgently admitted [72 (47.4%) vs 56 (37.3%)], and nonoperatively managed [52 (34.2%) vs 33 (22.0%)]. These differences were attributed to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic during the postintervention phase. The postintervention group had fewer hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes [74 (48.7%) vs 97 (64.7%); P = .005] and reduced incident delirium [5 (3.3%) vs 15 (10.0%); P = .02], in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Cardiac [8 (5.3%) vs 30 (20.0%); P < .001] and infective complications [4 (2.6%) vs 12 (8.0%); P = .04] were also fewer. LOS was unchanged. Frail patients in the postintervention group experienced significantly fewer geriatric syndromes including delirium.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This is the first prospective study of inpatient geriatric comanagement for older vascular surgery patients. Reductions in hospital-acquired geriatric syndromes including delirium, and cardiac and infective complications were observed after implementing geriatric comanagement. These benefits were also demonstrated in the frail subgroup.

What works? Interventions to reduce readmission after hip fracture: A rapid review of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Hip fracture is a common serious injury in older people and reducing readmission after hip fracture is a priority in many healthcare systems. Interventions which significantly reduce readmission after hip fracture have been identified and the aim of this review is to collate and summarise the efficacy of these interventions in one place.

METHODS

In a rapid review of systematic reviews one reviewer (ELS) searched the Ovid SP version of Medline and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Titles and abstracts of 915 articles were reviewed. Nineteen systematic reviews were included. (ELS) used a data extraction sheet to capture data on interventions and their effect on readmission. A second reviewer (RK) verified data extraction in a random sample of four systematic reviews. Results were not meta-analysed. Odds and risk ratios are presented where available.

RESULTS

Three interventions significantly reduce readmission in elderly populations after hip fracture: personalised discharge planning, self-care and regional anaesthesia. Three interventions are not conclusively supported by evidence: Oral Nutritional Supplementation, integration of care, and case management. Two interventions do not affect readmission after hip fracture: Enhanced Recovery pathways and comprehensive geriatric assessment.

CONCLUSIONS

Three interventions are most effective at reducing readmissions in older people: discharge planning, self-care, and regional anaesthesia. Further work is needed to optimise interventions and ensure the most at-risk populations benefit from them, and complete development work on interventions (e.g. interventions to reduce loneliness) and intervention components (e.g. adapting self-care interventions for dementia patients) which have not been fully tested yet.

Currents concepts of the perioperative management of closed ankle fractures

Ankle fractures are common injuries that can result in substantial morbidity in the population. This review discusses the management of closed ankle fractures and outlines the recent evidence and guidelines on perioperative management. In general, a detailed history should be undertaken, followed by examination and imaging of the affected limb. Fixation is based on the AO principles of fracture management that aims towards restoring stability of the joint and reducing the risk of long-term complications. A multidisciplinary approach towards perioperative management is recommended in view of the increasing proportion of aging patients with significant comorbidities.