Geriatric medicine services for older surgical patients in acute hospitals: Results from a binational survey

Objective To describe perioperative geriatric medicine services in Australia and New Zealand, and to explore geriatricians' views on the need for and challenges in providing perioperative care. Method An electronic questionnaire was sent to heads of geriatric medicine departments. Results Sixty-seven (83%) of 81 identified geriatric medicine departments responded. Twelve (18%) departments provide a proactive surgical-geriatric medicine service. Their most common features were regular geriatric medicine ward rounds (100%), medication review (92%) and attendance at multidisciplinary meetings (83%). All respondents thought there was a need for geriatric medicine to provide greater input into the care of older surgical patients. Lack of funding (88%) and not enough geriatricians (58%) were the major perceived barriers. Conclusions Although geriatricians believe they should provide proactive collaborative care for older surgical patients, only a few hospitals currently provide these services. Funding streams for these services and further research to determine the best models of care are needed.