Intervention
The intervention consists of implementation of preoperative MDT discussions for high-risk noncardiac surgical patients. In the preoperative MDT meeting, a patient is discussed among at least a surgeon, an anesthesiologist, and one or more medical consultant(s) and/or specialized nurses. Relevant medical consultants can be invited specifically based on the patient’s comorbidities. During the meeting, the attendees will review the technical aspects of the scheduled surgery, estimate the harm-benefit ratio of the procedure, evaluate the impact of existing comorbidities, and discuss the patient’s expectations and preferences.At least the following questions should be discussed:Is the proposed surgical intervention the most appropriate care for this patient and what are the alternative treatments?Is the harm-benefit ratio of the proposed surgical intervention acceptable for this patient?Should the patient’s condition be optimized before undergoing the proposed surgical intervention?To facilitate the implementation of preoperative MDT meetings, a toolbox is provided to the participating hospitals to guide discussion with regard to health condition, patient preferences in life, and treatment options (Additional file 