Summary

Frailty is most often defined as an aging-related syndrome of physiological decline, characterized by marked vulnerability to adverse health outcomes. The prevalence of frailty increases with age and ranges between 4 and 59% in community-dwelling elderly populations and is higher in women than in men. Awareness of frailty and associated risks for adverse health outcomes can improve care for this most vulnerable subset of patients.

Researchers at McMaster University created the GERAS Fit-Frailty app, a user-friendly tool for assessing frailty. It can be completed by older adults or their caregivers, and can be used as a frailty screening tool by healthcare professionals in a clinical environment. The application aims to improve the detection and management of frailty in routine clinical practice as studies have shown that frailty can be treated successfully, especially with early intervention. The GERAS Fit-Frailty App will be available on smartphones and tablets initially on the Apple Store.

After usability testing from the prototype, the updated GERAS Fit-Frailty App will include both self-reported and functional assessment tools (such as grip strength and walking speed), question subdomains adapted from a comprehensive geriatric assessment, a results screen with total and subdomain frailty scores, interactive cognitive screening, auto-flagging of problem areas and improved question clarity.

Contact

Dushani Senanayake
Licensing Associate