The closing event of FRAILCLINIC project (“Feasibility and effectiveness of the implementation of programs to screen and manage frail older patients in different clinical settings”) will be held in Madrid on March 13-14, 2018.

• FRAILCLINIC is a study co-funded by DG SANCO within the framework of the 2nd Health Programme of the European Union (2008-2013)
• As part of the closing event, a round table with experts on the topic “The challenge of avoiding disability: Tackling Frailty in clinical settings” will take place.

The main objective of the study consisted in assessing the feasibility and effectiveness of programs designed to detect and manage frail older patients in high risk clinical settings (cardiology, oncology / oncohaematology, nephrology, general surgery, urology, cardiac surgery and emergency rooms) in order to avoid functional decline and other frailty-associated adverse outcomes such as falls, delirium, prolonged hospital stay, readmission or death, which increase healthcare costs.

The study’s budget was 4.6 million EUR (co-funded by the European Commission, Second Health Programme) and has been implemented in two consecutive phases (observation and intervention) involving three countries and seven hospitals:

•  Spain: Hospital Universitario de Getafe and Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid and Hospital Monte Naranco in Asturias
• Italy: Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli and Ospedale San Rafaelle, both in Rome
• United Kingdom: Hospitals at Luton and Birmingham

The Intervention Phase evaluated, after randomisation, the effectiveness of implementing a programme of multidisciplinary geriatric intervention to treat and manage frail older patients in these clinical settings. A telephone follow-up was carried out  3 months and 12 months after the patient was discharged, to assess functional decline, disability, institutionalization, visits to the emergency room, hospitalization and death. The findings of the FRAILCLINIC study will allow to create algorithms for diagnosis and treatment of frail older people to be used in routine clinical practice with patients admitted into different clinical settings.

Experts from academia and public healthcare institutions will participate in the round table taking place on March 14th. This round table intends to contextualize this project’s findings and their potential use for improving the healthcare system, having in mind not only the patient’s well-being but cost-benefit aspects which are key to implement new clinical practices in public health systems.

The round table will be followed by a press conference.

Meeting Agenda

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More information at: http://www.frailclinic.eu/

@frailclinic

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