The Department of Veterans Affairs Surgical Pause practice has been recognized with the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award in the National Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality category for its innovative efforts resulting in improved healthcare outcomes of frail veterans considering surgery.
The initiative uses a risk analysis index to screen veterans for frailty in 30 seconds, effectively flagging those at high risk so the surgical team can ensure the proposed treatment plans both mitigate known risks and align with the veterans’ overarching life goals.
Routine frailty screening with the RAI rapidly identifies the 5-10% of patients who experience disproportionately high rates of postoperative complication, loss of independence and mortality, according to aVA release. For these patients, a brief “pause” permits further evaluation to review care goals and optimize treatment plans.
The initiative, which has already been launched at 50 VA facilities and is rolling out across the nation, is proven to decrease mortality among veterans. A 2023 study reported that from July 1, 2016 to May 31, 2019, one-year mortality fell from 20% to 16% after implementing the Surgical Pause in a sample of more than 50,000 patients.
“The Surgical Pause is an innovative, data-driven clinical practice that saves veterans' lives by predicting and preventing complications before they happen,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “We are thrilled to be rolling out the Surgical Pause across the nation as a part of VA’s steadfast commitment to providing veterans with high-quality, world-class health care they deserve.”
Surgical Pause is led by VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System Surgeon Dr. Daniel Hall. To learn more, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
