Advance care planning in older adults with multiple chronic conditions undergoing high-risk surgery.

More than 4 million high-risk operations (those that are associated with ≥1% in-hospital mortality) are performed annually in the United States in patients 65 years or older. While operative risk has declined over time, many older adults, especially those with multiple chronic conditions, remain at high risk for postoperative morbidity (including loss of independence and/or functional decline) and mortality.

Therefore, the American College of Surgeons and American Geriatric Society jointly recommend patients engage in advance care planning (ACP), which includes documenting a patient’s personal goals and values, treatment preferences, and surrogate decision maker.

In this study, we determined the prevalence and patient characteristics associated with ACP documentation among elderly adults at any time prior to high-risk surgery.