An electronic frailty index monitoring signs of frailty in aged care residents is the first of its kind for the aged care sector.
RMIT and Telstra Health researchers have been awarded a national gong for innovation for their work developing an electronic screening and risk analysis tool for monitoring frailty in aged care residents.
The digital frailty index, developed in collaboration with the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC), received the Award for Impact at the Excellence in Innovation showcase, hosted earlier this week by industry-research representative body Cooperative Research Australia.
The tool is designed to review data from both structured and free-text electronic patient records to monitor for 36 evidence-based indicators of deterioration in frail aged care residents, producing a personalised frailty index for each resident along with alerts detailing their risk of falls, depression and mortality.
The tool has since undergone clinical validation and evaluation through usability studies performed using nursing staff from several aged care facilities.
Work is now underway to integrate the system into Telstra Health’s Clinical and Care Management software, the announcement confirmed.
According to Dr Monica Trujillo, chief health officer at Telstra Health, the introduction of an electronic screening and risk prediction tool was “long overdue” for the aged care sector.
“This type of innovation, which has been standard practice for so long in hospital settings … has enormous potential to uplift the safety and quality of care provided to residents,” Dr Trujillo said.
“Technical barriers have historically prevented automatic analysis of data from free-text notes and assessments in electronic records.
“However, with the advent of natural language processing and machine learning this is now achievable and, most importantly, can be done without placing additional demands on already overburdened staff working at the coalface of residential aged care.”
Cooperative Research Australia’s Excellence in Innovation awards showcase, held in Brisbane on Monday 22 July, was established to recognise the work and impact of industry-research collaboration and translational research driving improved economic, social and environmental outcomes nationwide.