Older US adults mull costs, COVID, work when deciding on elective surgery

The study authors noted that the proportion of employed US adults aged 60 and older doubled from 2000 to 2020.

^"These findings highlight opportunities to support older adults who consider elective surgery so that these decisions can be based on clinical benefits, risks, and each patient’s goals and preferences," they wrote. "Future studies should seek to clarify the implications of surgery for employment status and job productivity, in addition to identifying workplace policies that facilitate or limit time off for recovery."

Caregiving concerns a factor for some

In a University of Michigan press release, lead author Nicholas Berlin, MD, MPH, a surgeon, said that he has integrated the results into his interactions with patients.

"When I counsel patients in my clinic who are considering elective surgery, I now also spend a good deal of time discussing the financial and employment implications of surgery with them," he said. "Unfortunately, I have seen a number of insured patients forego needed surgery because they are unable to afford the out-of-pocket costs or take time away from work for recovery."

Senior author Jeffrey Kullgren, MD, MPH, a primary care physician at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System and professor at the University of Michigan, called for more research into surgery's effects on caregiving, which some participants had cited as an influential factor in deciding whether to go ahead with a procedure.

"This includes both those who are concerned about surgery temporarily making them unable to care for someone else, and those concerned about having someone to care for them after their operation," he said.