title: Specialist pre-operative assessment clinics.
abstract: While specialist pre-operative assessment is not new, its focus has evolved in response to more operations and changes in the surgical population. Patients are older and have more long-term medical comorbidities. At the same time, there has been a move from paternalistic medical decision-making to shared decision-making, based on an individual patient's choice or preference. Specialist pre-operative consultations have had to adapt to these changes by broadening their scope. Pre-operative clinics have a central role in shared decision-making, coordinating and planning care before, during and after surgery, including rehabilitation and discharge planning. Multiple specialties need to work together to deliver quality patient-centred care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ageing and Health, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London, UK.|Division of Health and Social Care Research, Kings College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Dhesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Peri-operative Medicine, Torbay Hospital, Torquay, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swart
mesh_terms: D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000379:methods*; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation