The electronic frailty index tool classifies patients as robust, pre-frail, frail or very frail by analyzing 31 age-related health deficits in EHR data.
Researchers used the tool to assess 518,449 patients aged 60 and older across the system. They found that patients classified as “very frail” had significantly higher rates of death and 90-day readmissions compared to those categorized as “robust.” Rates of adverse outcomes increased progressively from pre-frail to very frail patients, according to research published Feb. 21 in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.
“Frailty is associated with higher risk of falls, hospitalization and potentially preventable healthcare system costs,” study author Bharati Kochar, MD, a gastroenterologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Mongan Institute Center for Aging and Serious Illness, said in a news release. “But it can be challenging to measure frailty using routinely collected data in electronic health records. Patients often receive care across multiple healthcare systems, which can lead to incomplete information on aging-related health deficits. Our study demonstrates we can overcome these challenges to help identify patients at risk for adverse health outcomes.”
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