Surgical frailty assessment: a missed opportunity

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Surgical Outcomes
• Healthcare Professional Education

Background:

• Preoperative frailty is a known predictor of adverse postoperative outcomes.
• Despite its importance, research on healthcare professionals' utilization of frailty assessment in perioperative care is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess surgical healthcare professionals' perceptions, attitudes, and practices regarding frailty assessment in perioperative care.
• To identify barriers to the implementation of frailty assessment tools in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to healthcare professionals at a Canadian teaching hospital.
• The survey included Likert scale and open-ended questions assessing perceptions and practices related to frailty.
• Statistical analyses, including independent sample t-tests and correlation analyses, were used to compare responses across professions.

Main Results:

• Nurses and allied health professionals were more likely than surgeons to believe frailty should influence care planning.
• Only 17.5% of respondents reported consistently using frailty assessment tools.
• Key barriers identified included institutional, healthcare system, professional knowledge, and patient/family factors.

Conclusions:

• A significant knowledge gap regarding frailty exists among healthcare professionals, acting as a major barrier to assessment tool use.
• While clinicians acknowledge frailty's impact, its assessment is underutilized in practice.
• Enhanced education and targeted interventions to address identified barriers are crucial to increase the use of frailty assessments and improve patient outcomes.