Older patients had shorter hospital stays and fewer complications and deaths when doctors adopted an elder-friendly protocol before surgery, a study shows.

Using the EASE (Elder-Friendly Approaches to the Surgical Environment) model in an emergency general surgical setting leads to a reduction in complications and deaths, the Canadian researchers say.

The intervention included integration of a geriatric assessment team, optimisation of evidence-based elder-friendly practices, promotion of patient-oriented rehabilitation and early discharge planning.

Researchers at two hospitals reviewed data on 684 elderly patients who underwent emergency abdominal general surgery procedures (with a mean age of 76 and a close-to-half gender split), including 139 who were frail. Most patients were living independently in the community.