C Buckland

1539 IMPROVING RECORDING OF THE CLINICAL FRAILTY SCALE BY PHYSIOTHERAPISTS IN OLDER PEOPLE'S MEDICINE: A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

  • Geriatrics and Gerontology
  • Aging
  • General Medicine
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Abstract Introduction Frailty is under-recognised in hospital leading to unwarranted variation in care. National guidance recommends that all healthcare professionals can identify frailty and offer interventions to reduce risk factors for frailty. Previously, physiotherapists working in Older People’s Medicine (OPM) did not record frailty status in their clinical assessment. This quality improvement project seeks to translate and implement best practice, supporting physiotherapists to record the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score within routine patient assessment, so interventions can be initiated to optimise outcomes. Project aim Within 3 months, to achieve a 50% increase in the number of patients with a Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) score recorded within their physiotherapy assessment. Methods Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles with interventions of bespoke teaching and assessment proforma re-design were employed targeting the OPM physiotherapy team on ward 31, RVI. Measures The weekly number of patients with a CFS score recorded within physiotherapy assessment was collected over 13 weeks and evaluated on a run chart. Staff knowledge and skills self-assessment scores and cohort data were also recorded and described using descriptive statistics. Results At baseline – 0/114 (0%) physiotherapy patients had a CFS score recorded, this improved to 95/192 (49%), suggestive of effective change post interventions. Staff confidence scores also improved. Conclusions This project has led to improved frailty awareness and identification amongst OPM physiotherapy staff. Furthermore, these efforts are being sustained, and implemented in other areas of acute care. This work supports a collaborative approach to improving frailty care; better identification of frailty can reduce harm by informing healthcare needs, supporting patient flow, and resulting in better, safer, and more equitable care.

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