In the proposed study, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial of a perioperative geriatrics intervention versus usual care in older patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers undergoing surgical resection. The perioperative geriatrics intervention will entail pre- and post-operative geriatric care for patients age ≥65 undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancers. Specifically, geriatric clinicians will evaluate and manage patients preoperatively in the outpatient setting and postoperatively in the inpatient setting as a consultant.
The investigators will evaluate the effect of the perioperative geriatrics intervention on postoperative length of stay (primary outcome) and readmissions in a sample of 160 patients. The investigators will also assess the impact of the perioperative geriatrics intervention on patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life (QOL) and symptom burden.
The study will take place at Massachusetts General Hospital.
