The Perioperative Pathway for Older Adults

N/ANot Yet RecruitingNCT07764289

Örebro University, Sweden1,000,000 enrolled

Overview

More than 1.5 million people undergo surgery in Sweden each year, and over 770,000 of them are aged 65 years or older. Older adults often have more complex health needs and may require additional support throughout the surgical care process. Surgical care can be divided into three phases: before, during, and after surgery. Before surgery, older adults may need to improve their health status and prepare for the procedure. Many also feel worried about the surgery and recovery. It is important that patients understand the information they receive and are involved in decisions about their care. However, some older adults find it difficult to understand health information or to ask questions, which can make participation in care more challenging. Recovery after surgery means returning to the same level of function as before surgery, or adjusting to a new level if needed. For older adults, recovery can take longer and often continues after leaving the hospital. Support during this period is important for a safe and successful recovery. The POP project aims to improve the care and support provided to older adults undergoing surgery. The project focuses on identifying gaps and differences in current care and improving support throughout the entire surgical pathway, regardless of the type of surgery. There is currently limited knowledge about how older adults in Sweden experience the surgical care process. By increasing this understanding, the project aims to support improvements in care and outcomes for older adults.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

1,000,000

Conditions

Older Adults (65 Years and Older)Postoperative Care Preoperative Care

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 65 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Preoperative concerns and health literacy Inclusion Criteria: * 65 years and older * Being able to read and understand Swedish Exclusion Criteria: -Cognitive decline Perioperative outcomes Inclusion Criteria: -65 years and older Interviews with staff Inclusion Critera: -Working in a nursing home as a nurse assistant or a nurse with experience of pre- and postoperative care Interviews with older persons and next-of-kin Inclusion Criteria: * Living at a nursing home with an experience of undergoing surgery or being a next-of-kin to someone living at a nursing home * Being able to understand Swedish Exclusion Criteria: -Cognitive decline

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Preoperative concerns

Preoperative concerns in older adults (PCOA) is a questionnaire developed by Li et al. PCOAS will be translated to Swedish and psychometrically evaluated. Minimum value 1, maximum value 5 per item and a higher score means higher concerns.

Time frame: Before surgery.

Interviews with older persons and next-of-kin

The interviews will investigate how an older person living in a nursing home can be involved in their care before and after an operation.

Time frame: The interview will be conducted at one time point approximately 60 minutes.

Interviews with staff

The interviews will investigate how is the perioperative care process for older people living in nursing homes perceived and organized from the perspective of the staff?

Time frame: The interview will be conducted at one time point approximately 60 minutes.

Health literacy

The HLS19-Q12 ( (Health Literacy Population Survey 2019-2021) instrument will be used to measure general health literacy. HLS19-Q12 is scaled from 0 to 100. A higher score value signifies a higher level of general HL.