Promoting early management of frailty in the new normal: An updated software tool in addressing the need of virtual assessment of frailty at points of care

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Frailty is a state of diminished physiological reserve and can be assessed using the frailty index. Early management of frailty is crucial for preventing adverse outcomes. Intended for assessing home‐living older adults, the initial release of the eFI‐CGA software was prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Methods In addressing the increased need of virtual assessment, the eFI‐CGA was upgraded to version 3.0. In this paper, we introduce the updated electronic frailty assessment tool, reporting the newly developed features and validating its use. Results End‐user experiences with the previous versions are discussed. The updated features include a search function to resume disrupted assessments. The improved user interface enabled clinicians to record care management details. Conclusion This study represents an example of software solutions in moving from disruption to transformation, benefiting healthcare for older adults during this challenging time.

Keywords

• eFI‐CGA
• electronic comprehensive geriatric assessment
• electronic frailty index
• standalone software tool
• virtual assessment