How Frailty Is Considered, Measured and Managed in Clinical Practice, Quality Improvement and Research in Australia: Insights From a National Survey.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the extent to which frailty is currently considered, measured and managed in clinical practice, quality improvement and research in Australia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional electronic survey was developed and promoted to clinicians, health service managers and researchers involved in the provision or study of health care for older people across Australia (August 2024 to March 2025).

RESULTS

Of the 155 responses analysed, 88% (n = 136) were from clinicians. Over half of the respondents, 57% (n = 55/97) reported that frailty screening occurred regularly in their health service. Screening was performed by clinicians with allied health, nursing and medical backgrounds, with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) the tool reported most commonly (61%). Free text responses indicated that although frailty screening often informed individual clinical care, system-level models of care to manage people who were screened as frail were rare. Respondents viewed management of frailty as the most important research area (management 41%, prevention 34%, screening 25%). Free text responses on priority research questions highlighted knowledge and implementation gaps in all domains. Of those who responded to the question on research (n = 154), 75% indicated that there was no ongoing research on frailty in their health service and 43% indicated willingness to be involved in frailty research.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty screening in practice was reported by over half of the respondents, with opportunities identified to implement models of care for patients with frailty. There is an appetite for further research on frailty in health services across Australia, with management of frailty a priority.