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BMC Geriatrics

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Open Access 01-12-2020 | Research article

Perspectives of older adults, caregivers, and healthcare providers on frailty screening: a qualitative study

Authors: Jill Van Damme, Elena Neiterman, Mark Oremus, Kassandra Lemmon, Paul Stolee

Published in: BMC Geriatrics | Issue 1/2020

Abstract

Background

Screening is an important component of understanding and managing frailty. This study examined older adults’, caregivers’ and healthcare providers’ perspectives on frailty and frailty screening.

Methods

Fourteen older adults and caregivers and 14 healthcare providers completed individual or focus group interviews. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using line-by-line emergent coding techniques and inductive thematic analysis.

Results

The interviews yielded several themes with associated subthemes: definitions and conceptualizations of frailty, perceptions of “frail”, factors contributing to frailty (physical,, cognitive, social, pharmaceutical, nutritional), and frailty screening (current practices, tools in use, limitations, recommendations).

Conclusion

Older adults, caregivers and healthcare providers have similar perspectives regarding frailty; both identified frailty as multi-dimensional and dynamic. Healthcare providers need clear “next steps” to provide meaning to frailty screening practices, which may improve use of frailty-screening tools.

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Title: Perspectives of older adults, caregivers, and healthcare providers on frailty screening: a qualitative study
Authors: Jill Van Damme
Elena Neiterman
Mark Oremus
Kassandra Lemmon
Paul Stolee
Publication date: 01-12-2020
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Geriatrics / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2318
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-1459-6

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