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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
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Evaluating the Implementation and Feasibility of a Web-Based Tool to Support Timely Identification and Care for the Frail Population in Primary Healthcare Settings

Article 3, Volume 6, Issue 7, July 2017, Page 377-382  XML PDF (582 K)
Document Type: Study Protocol
DOI: 10.15171/ijhpm.2017.32
Authors
Beverley Lawson1 2 3 ; Tara Sampalli 4 3 ; Stephanie Wood4 ; Grace Warner5 6 7 ; Paige Moorhouse4 3 8 ; Rick Gibson9 ; Laurie Mallery4 3 8 ; Fred Burge1 2 3 ; Lisa G. Bedford4
1Building Research for Integrated Primary Healthcare (BRIC NS), Nova Scotia Primary & Integrated Health Care Innovations Network, Halifax, NS, Canada
2Primary Care Research Group, Dalhousie Family Medicine, Halifax, NS, Canada
3Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
4Primary Health Care, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada
5School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
6Continuing Care, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada
7Healthy Populations Institute, Halifax, NS, Canada
8Palliative and Therapeutic Harmonization (PATH) Program, Halifax, NS, Canada
9Department of Family Practice, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, NS, Canada
Abstract
Background
Understanding and addressing the needs of frail persons is an emerging health priority for Nova Scotia and internationally. Primary healthcare (PHC) providers regularly encounter frail persons in their daily clinical work. However, routine identification and measurement of frailty is not standard practice and, in general, there is a lack of awareness about how to identify and respond to frailty. A web-based tool called the Frailty Portal was developed to aid in identifying, screening, and providing care for frail patients in PHC settings. In this study, we will assess the implementation feasibility and impact of the Frailty Portal to: (1) support increased awareness of frailty among providers and patients, (2) identify the degree of frailty within individual patients, and (3) develop and deliver actions to respond to frailtyl in community PHC practice.
 
Methods
This study will be approached using a convergent mixed method design where quantitative and qualitative
data are collected concurrently, in this case, over a 9-month period, analyzed separately, and then merged to summarize, interpret and produce a more comprehensive understanding of the initiative’s feasibility and scalability. Methods will be informed by the ‘Implementing the Frailty Portal in Community Primary Care Practice’ logic model and questions will be guided by domains and constructs from an implementation science framework, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).
 
Discussion
The ‘Frailty Portal’ aims to improve access to, and coordination of, primary care services for persons experiencing frailty. It also aims to increase primary care providers’ ability to care for patients in the context of their frailty. Our goal is to help optimize care in the community by helping community providers gain the knowledge they may lack about frailty both in general and in their practice, support improved identification of frailty with the use of screening tools, offer evidence based severity-specific care goals and connect providers with local available community supports.
Keywords
Frail Elderly; Primary Healthcare (PHC); Patient Care Planning; Web-Based Portal
Main Subjects
Healthcare Quality
References
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