Developing frailty friendly hospitals: the Specialised Clinical Frailty Network.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Older people with frailty often have complex healthcare needs.
• Specialised healthcare services require adaptation to effectively manage frailty.
• The Specialised Clinical Frailty Network (SCFN) was established to address these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement frailty-attuned pathways in specialised healthcare services in England.
• To enhance the experience and outcomes for older people living with frailty within specialised care settings.

Main Methods:

• A breakthrough series collaborative approach was employed.
• Quality improvement methodologies, including experience-based design, were utilized.
• Implementation of process changes within specialised teams was central to the study.

Main Results:

• Specialised teams engaged positively with the SCFN, adopting frailty-aligned process changes.
• Improvements were observed in frailty identification, holistic care delivery, and shared decision-making.
• The network successfully demonstrated effective frailty assessment at individual and population levels.

Conclusions:

• The SCFN initiative successfully integrated frailty considerations into specialised healthcare.
• The findings support the use of frailty assessment to optimize patient management in specialised services.
• This approach can guide local teams and systems in managing the health of older adults with frailty.