Developing Pilot Postoperative Guidelines for Improved Functional Outcomes After High-Risk Cancer Surgery

This is a prospective, feasibility, and effectiveness trial to be conducted at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. We plan to develop algorithmic guidelines focused on proactive support of surgical recovery and will then recruit surgeons who care for adults undergoing high-risk abdominal surgery for cancer to study the preliminary effectiveness of implementing the algorithmic guidelines into postoperative care workflows at 4 pre-determined timepoints. A modified Delphi process will be used to ensure an expert consensus on the algorithmic guideline content is achieved through a rigorous and consensus-driven process. Two rounds of structured online voting will be conducted to rate and refine each algorithmic guideline component.

Key feasibility outcomes include recruitment and retention rates, surgeon adherence, data completeness, and integration into routine workflows. Preliminary effectiveness will be measured using patient-reported outcomes, timeliness of referral to supportive providers and resources, use of supportive services, rates of surgical regret, and measures of functional recovery.