BC: Manpreet Thandi, Sabrina Wong, Morgan Price, Jennifer Baumbusch
Please describe your research project and how it contributes to improving primary care
In this 3-part study, we will use CPCSSN electronic medical record (EMR) data to classify frailty severity in BC primary care settings, while addressing three research questions:
- Does the electronic frailty index (eFI) represent the construct of frailty from the perspectives of primary care clinicians and older adults in BC?
- Can frailty factors be adequately represented by standardized clinical terminologies?
- Can an eFI derived from Canadian primary care EMR data be validated and implemented into practice?
It is anticipated that this study will result in the development of a validated electronic frailty index that can automatically provide frailty scores for patients using EMR data.
How did the BC-PHCRN contribute to supporting your project?
The BC-PHCRN has been a major support to this project, specifically through the provision of CPCSSN data. Collaborators in this project are members of the network and bring expertise and knowledge, contributing to the rigour of this work.
What are the key messages from this project to share with stakeholder groups (i.e. clinicians, policy makers, patients)?
There is no standardized method to screen for frailty in Canadian primary care settings. The electronic frailty index will result in the earlier detection of frailty and would be available to more than 1500 clinicians, potentially leading to a significant transformation in frailty management in primary care and improved patient and system level outcomes.
BC Primary Health Care Research Network 