Results show collaborative initiative improves surgical outcomes and experiences

More than 100 doctors and health care partners banded together to launch a new process of care for surgical patients through the Surgical Patient Optimization Collaborative (SPOC).

SPOC brings together multi-disciplinary teams to assist patients to prepare for, recover faster, and have better outcomes from surgery. It’s funded by the Specialist Services Committee (SSC) –a partnership of Doctors of BC and the BC Government and led by Dr Tom Wallace, Surgery, and Dr Kelly Mayson, Anesthesiology.

The latest results published in the BC Medical Journal shows that not only are patients reporting improved experiences (91%) and better surgical outcomes (86%), participating physicians say they have improved experiences (94%) and increased job satisfaction. There is also data showing reduced costs to the province’s health care system.

At a recent virtual event that celebrated SPOC’s achievements to date, Dr Ahmer Karamuddin, co-chair of SSC, told participants he wants them to be proud of all the patients’ journeys they influenced and made better –particularly because it was during a global health pandemic.

“What really felt crazy at the beginning, when we were almost thinking about sun setting the collaborative, each of you stayed committed and engaged. You doubled down. You made yourself and others around you feel better about the work that you do.”

As the physicians navigated uncharted paths to guide their surgical patients through a journey of wellness, doctors overcame something greater, acknowledged Dr Karimuddin.

He expressed that by improving thousands of patients’ experiences, doctors showed leadership, expertise, and resilience. Through the collaborative, physicians focused on what ties the health care community together–patient care.

“Working together to implement the best evidence and best practices is what's best care for our patients, and it’s the best care for each and every one of us as individuals,” said Dr Karimuddin.

During a difficult time because of the pandemic, insufficient resources, and feelings of burnout, SPOC physicians persevered; the collaborative supported each other and worked together to create bespoke solutions for unique challenges at different facilities for 13 clinical components for prehabilitation.

Across the province, 135 specialists and family doctors with 14 interdisciplinary teams improved patient readiness for surgery by implementing models of care, collecting aggregate data, and engaging in system change strategies.

To date, more than 5,200 patients have been screened for health conditions that can affect a patient’s recovery after elective surgery. Ninety-five percent of these patients were successfully prehabilitated through mental and physical preparations before surgery.

Learn more about SPOC.