The ACS has been awarded a $100,000 planning grant to enhance diagnostic accuracy in clinical registries, with a particular focus on the care of older adult patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS). The grant is part of a collaborative initiative led by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS). The initiative is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and supplemented by the John A. Hartford Foundation.
“This initiative advances our ongoing efforts to refine the quality and safety of emergency surgical care for older adults. By improving diagnostic accuracy, we not only enhance clinical outcomes, but also address critical aspects like patient independence and quality of life,” said Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS, ACS Executive Director & CEO.
This diagnostic feedback project for clinicians treating older adult emergency general surgery patients will address the unique diagnostic challenges faced by this demographic. The ACS project will focus on improving diagnostics at critical points, including the diagnosis of primary diseases, comorbidities, and postoperative complications.
“This project is not just about improving diagnostics; it’s about transforming how we care for our aging population in emergency settings,” said Clifford Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, Director of the Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care at the ACS. “We are extremely grateful to receive this grant to help us address this problem that will only grow if we don’t address it using a rigorous, scientifically tested approach.”
The ACS plans to utilize the grant for a three-phase approach:
- Literature Review: Conducting a comprehensive review of existing literature to identify diagnostic gaps and strategies.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitating focus groups and convening experts to prioritize diagnostic needs from expert and patient perspectives.
- Feedback Intervention Design: Developing a diagnostic feedback intervention and evaluating its effectiveness, barriers, and facilitators.
The completion of this planning grant is expected to lead to piloting the diagnostic feedback mechanism in a variety of hospital settings. The long-term vision includes expanding this mechanism to more than 2,000 hospitals associated with the ACS, significantly enhancing diagnostic accuracy and patient-centered care in the US.
