Risk stratification is an important technique that allows patients to be classified according to their health risk status, taking into consideration many factors, such as diagnosis, age, BMI, comorbidities, labs and other assessment scores, health behaviors and health literacy, and social and caregiver support needs, to name a few. Utilizing such a framework or model can be used not only to identify patient-specific risks to refine treatment plants, but can also be applied to improve workflows, better manage population health, and effectively use resources.
For this Discussion, you will consider risk stratification in the preoperative environment.
- Review the risk stratification video in this week’s Learning Resources.
- Identify each patient as high, intermediate, or low risk.
- Consider patient education needs and strategies for each patient, as well as what the informed consent for each procedure would be.
- Post your assessment of which level of risk each patient in the case scenarios corresponds with (high, intermediate, or low). Explain the rationale for your decision-making.
- You are asked to evaluate a 49-year-old female set for preoperative or stratification for proposed laparoscopic shoulder surgery. She is active, participating in soccer both as a player and a coach several times a week. She has no cardiac history and no exertional symptoms.
