Overview
The purpose of this study will be to implement and evaluate a prehab program for pre-frail and frail adults who need to undergo thoracic surgery. The study team hypothesizes using an implementation framework will increase the reach, effectiveness, adoption, and implementation of the prehab program.
Description
Approximately 70% of thoracic surgery patients are pre-frail or frail, characterized by reduced strength, endurance, and physiologic function. Frailty is associated with poor perioperative outcomes, including increased complications, length of stay, post-discharge institutionalization, healthcare costs, and mortality. As a result, surgical and geriatric clinical societies now recommend including a frailty assessment in older adult pre-operative surgical evaluations. To mitigate the risks associated with frailty, prehabilitation (prehab) has been included as a component of the American College of Surgeons "Strong for Surgery" quality initiative. Evidence-based practices to optimize preoperative health have been shown to improve physical conditioning and return to autonomy, as well as, reduce length of stay, postoperative complications, and healthcare costs. Older patients who need surgery view prehab favorably, particularly if it is home-based, recommended by a medical professional, and free. The primary objective will be to conduct a feasibility evaluation using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. The secondary objectives will be to measure functional status and clinical outcomes longitudinally in patients undergoing prehab.
Participants will receive the prehab program from 2-12 weeks prior to undergoing elective inpatient thoracic surgery. Participants will complete surveys at 2-3 weeks, 2 months, 3-4 months, and 6 months after surgery.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age ≥ 50, of any racial or ethnic origin
- Screened, during a pre-operative Thoracic Surgery Clinic Visit, as Pre-frail or Frail
- Will be undergoing elective thoracic surgery lung resection using thoracic approach (thoracotomy, Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), Robotic-Assisted Thoracic Surgery (RATS)
- Able to complete baseline evaluations at time of enrollment
Exclusion Criteria:
- Unable to give informed consent
- Unable to read/speak English
- Age <50