Pre-Event Masterclass

Wednesday, 17th May 2023

08.00 hrs. – 16.00hrs.

Improving outcomes and experience for older people living with frailty

 

Key learning objectives of this masterclass:

  • Learn about the development and delivery of the Acute Frailty Network and the evidence base for frailty interventions in acute care settings.
  • Understand the importance of shared decision-making in frailty.
  • Appreciate the role of Experience-Based Design in improving frailty pathways.
  • Explore practical and sustainable improvements in service provision by involving patients in the quality improvement process.

 

Workshop Leaders:

This workshop will be delivered by Professor Simon Conroy and Mrs Deborah Thompson, who have led the development and implementation of frailty improvements across the UK and Ireland.


Prof Simon Conroy

Prof Simon Conroy

Geriatric Medicine in the MRC Lifelong Health…
UCL

Deborah Thompson

Deborah Thompson

Programme Director Urgent Care Delivery Networks
NHS Elect (UK)

 

Masterclass Overview:

Did you know that systematic reviews have consistently shown that Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) delivered to older people in acute care reduces admission to long-term care and saves lives? Yet, despite being supported by several international expert reports, CGA is not routinely available for older people admitted to the hospital in many countries.

In England, significant efforts have been made to support and promote CGA in acute care settings, resulting in the establishment of the Acute Frailty Network (AFN) in 2015. The AFN is the largest international quality improvement collaborative (QIC) focused on acute care for older people.

Building upon this evidence base, the Hospital Wide CGA (HoW-CGA) study engaged stakeholders, including patients and the public, to develop an evidence-based clinical toolkit to embed frailty-attuned care processes. However, the evaluation of pilot sites showed limited progress due to the volume of work involved and the interaction with existing procedures, policies, and norms. To enhance the intervention’s impact, the authors suggested supporting implementation through a Breakthrough Series Collaborative, leading to the creation of the Specialized Clinical Frailty Network (SCFN) in 2018.

Both networks prioritized patient experience and outcomes. The Acute Frailty Network spearheaded the use of Experience-Based Design (EBD) to improve the care of older people living with frailty who present to the hospital acutely unwell. The SCFN combined the How-CGA study’s learnings with robust implementation support to implement frailty-attuned pathways in specialized services.

This symposium, embedded within the international EBD conference, will explore the development and delivery of the AFN and SCFN and the role of shared decision-making and EBD in frailty pathways.

 

Join us for a transformative learning experience with Professor Simon Conroy and Mrs. Deborah Thompson, pioneers in the development and implementation of frailty improvements, across the UK and Ireland.