Anne Suskind, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Urology received a two-year RO3 GEMSSTAR grant issued by the National Institute of Health - National Institute on Aging (NIH-NIA) to study outcomes related to common urologic procedures in frail nursing home residents. Suskind, who specializes in female urology, believes that the decision to perform surgery in this unique population--however “minor” or “routine”-- is complex and should be considered carefully by balancing the risks and benefits in each individual with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life. This becomes even more difficult when you consider nursing home residents.
The project’s long-term goal is to broaden our understanding of quality of life in this patient population with limited life expectancy and to direct surgical and urologic care towards this aim. This project is innovative because it is the first to look at any urologic procedures in the nursing home population. It goes beyond commonly measured surgical outcomes to evaluate long-term functional and cognitive outcomes after urologic procedures that matter dearly to residents and impact their quality of life. The proposed project raises questions about the appropriateness of performing diagnostic and discretionary procedures in this frail and special population.
