Frailty management in older patients: a best practice implementation project.

Introduction: Frailty in older adults can lead to a gradual decline in organ function. Without timely diagnosis and intervention, this condition can progress rapidly, increasing the risk of disability and mortality. Objectives: The aim of this project was to implement evidence-based practices for ma...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:JBI Evidence Implementation Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 394 - 403
Autores principales: Chen, Chih Wen, Lee, Mei-Chen, Liu, Kuei Fen, Lin, Li-Ju, Wu, Shu-Fang Vivienne
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Oct2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Introduction: Frailty in older adults can lead to a gradual decline in organ function. Without timely diagnosis and intervention, this condition can progress rapidly, increasing the risk of disability and mortality. Objectives: The aim of this project was to implement evidence-based practices for managing frailty in the medical ward to prevent disability in older patients. Methods: This project was conceptually informed by the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework. This framework uses an audit and feedback approach and a pre- and post-test design to measure baseline compliance, develop implementation strategies responsive to gaps in compliance, and conduct a final evaluation to measure changes in compliance. JBI PACES and JBI GRiP situational analysis software were used to support data collection and implementation planning. Ten audit criteria were used with a sample of 30 patients in a regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Results: The baseline audit showed poor compliance, with rates below 30% for all ten audit criteria. Through strategies such as professional training and education, the implementation of evidence-based care guidelines, and interdisciplinary consensus-building, the follow-up audit revealed an increase in compliance to over 90% for each audit criterion. Conclusions: Frailty management strategies based on evidence-based audit criteria were implemented and routinely measured. The most effective strategies for improving compliance included the development of a training course, a digitized assessment tool, team meetings, interdisciplinary collaboration, communication, and consensus-building. http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A225