Aging Innovation in Perioperative Medicine and Surgery (AIMS)
Striving for better health for older adults after surgery.
On this page:
Overview
The overarching goal of the Aging Innovation in Perioperative Medicine and Surgery (AIMS) Research Group is to improve postoperative outcomes for older adults with frailty. Our group strives to produce high-quality clinical research and knowledge syntheses in the area of perioperative frailty research.
Led by Dr. Daniel McIsaac from the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at The Ottawa Hospital, AIMS is an interdisciplinary research team with expertise in clinical research, knowledge syntheses and database research.
The AIMS research group officially formed in 2016 and has been developing and evolving ever since.
AIMS: Better health for older adults after surgery
Innovation
Collaboration
Patient engagement
Integrated knowledge translation
Knowledge synthesis
Big data
Training and resources
Clinical Frailty Scale Module
Our team has developed an online learning module for you to learn how to use the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) for assessing frailty. You will receive a certification upon completion.
Research
AIMS continues to conduct high-quality research to identify an accurate frailty assessment tool, describe the barriers and facilitators to routine preoperative frailty assessment and develop and implement interventions to prepare older adults going for major elective surgery.
Currently, we are testing whether home-based exercise prehabilitation is effective for improving postoperative disability and complications after surgery.
Our team completed a pilot study that demonstrated feasibility and provided qualitative data that supports the home-based nature of the intervention. One participant has shared her experience:
PREPARE Trial
We are now conducting a multi-center randomized controlled trial across Canada called the PREPARE Trial. We will recruit 750 older adults across the country who are preparing for a major elective surgery.
TRACTION Trial
A Phase IV trial of a hospital policy of Tranexamic acid to reduce transfusion in major non-cardiac surgery (TRACTION).