PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Validating an electronic frailty index in a national health system

“The classification of patients according to their level of frailty allows us to adjust prevention programs and focus our limited resources on the right action for the right person”

Validating an electronic frailty index in a national health system
2024-11-12
(Press-News.org)

“The classification of patients according to their level of frailty allows us to adjust prevention programs and focus our limited resources on the right action for the right person.”

BUFFALO, NY- November 12, 2024 – A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), on October 24, 2024, Volume 16, Issue 20, titled, "Development and validation of an electronic frailty index in a national health maintenance organization."

The study, led by researchers Fabienne Hershkowitz Sikron, Rony Schenker, Yishay Koom, Galit Segal, Orit Shahar, Idit Wolf, Bawkat Mazengya, Maor Lewis,  Irit Laxer and Dov Albukrek from Meuhedet Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in collaboration with colleagues from the Joint-Eshel Organization and the  Israeli Ministry of Health, introduces the Meuhedet Electronic Frailty Index (MEFI)—a digital tool designed to assess frailty in older people and identify those most at risk for serious health outcomes, such as hospitalization or death.

As people live longer, identifying those at higher risk for health complications is essential to maintaining quality of life in older age. Frailty, a condition marked by increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes, has emerged as a crucial predictor of health deterioration in older people. While frailty assessment tools exist, this study adapts and validates an Electronic Frailty Index (EFI) tailored specifically to Israeli data and healthcare infrastructure, enabling more targeted and culturally relevant assessments.

The MEFI was developed using data from 120,986 individuals aged 65 and older, comprising different indicators, including physical, social, and cognitive deficits. The index classifies individuals as "fit," "mildly frail," "moderately frail," or "severely frail" and is integrated into Israel’s electronic health records system.

Researchers found that patients with higher MEFI scores faced significantly increased risks of hospitalization or mortality within one year, with risk levels rising fourfold for the most frail compared to those classified as fit. According to the authors, “The findings also showed that the MEFI version we created is valid in predicting mortality or hospitalization and had better predictive accuracy compared to CCI,” underscoring its reliability in assessing health risks. This integration enables Meuhedet HMO to implement proactive and preventive care measures across its network.

Beyond predicting hospitalization and mortality, the MEFI’s alignment with Israel’s National Social Security benefit system reinforces its validity and practical use. As the authors note, “As a health maintenance organization, our mandate is to help our patients live longer and better. Using the MEFI as part of routine primary care may help us achieve this goal.” By focusing on early intervention for those most at risk, MEFI could significantly impact health maintenance costs and enable clinicians to allocate resources more effectively.

This new EFI version positions Israel at the forefront of frailty research, and its success could pave the way for other countries with similar healthcare systems to adopt or adapt the approach. Future steps include integrating MEFI as a routine part of primary care in Israel to ensure timely intervention and support as patients age.

In summary, MEFI is a powerful tool that empowers Israel’s healthcare system to identify and support older adults most in need, marking a significant advancement in caring for an aging population.

Read the full paper: DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206141

Corresponding author: Fabienne Hershkowitz Sikron - fabian_hershkowitz@meuhedet.co.il

Keywords: frailty, older people, electronic frailty index, electronic health record, health maintenance organization

Click here to sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article.

About Aging:

The journal Aging aims to promote 1) treatment of age-related diseases by slowing down aging, 2) validation of anti-aging drugs by treating age-related diseases, and 3) prevention of cancer by inhibiting aging. (Cancer and COVID-19 are age-related diseases.)

Aging is indexed by PubMed/Medline (abbreviated as “Aging (Albany NY)”), PubMed Central, Web of Science: Science Citation Index Expanded (abbreviated as “Aging‐US” and listed in the Cell Biology and Geriatrics & Gerontology categories), Scopus (abbreviated as “Aging” and listed in the Cell Biology and Aging categories), Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, EMBASE, META (Chan Zuckerberg Initiative) (2018-2022), and Dimensions (Digital Science).

Please visit our website at www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us:

Facebook X Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Reddit Pinterest Spotify, and available wherever you listen to podcasts

Click here to subscribe to Aging publication updates.

For media inquiries, please contact media@impactjournals.com.

Aging (Aging-US) Journal Office
6666 E. Quaker St., Suite 1
Orchard Park, NY 14127
Phone: 1-800-922-0957, option 1

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Validating an electronic frailty index in a national health system Validating an electronic frailty index in a national health system 2

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Combination approach shows promise for treating rare, aggressive cancers

2024-11-12
A research team led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators has shown that that combining pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, with standard chemotherapy can improve treatment outcomes for patients with small cell bladder cancer and small cell/neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Small cell carcinomas can arise in various tissues—including the bladder, prostate, lung, ovaries and breast—and are known for their rapid progression, tendency to relapse after initial treatment and poor overall survival ...

Raise the roof: How to reduce badminton birdie drift

Raise the roof: How to reduce badminton birdie drift
2024-11-12
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2024 – Indoor badminton courts are often used for high-stakes tournaments, but even an enclosed court can affect the path of a birdie. The airflow from a court’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and cross ventilation plays a significant role in badminton. The lightweight feathered birdie passed between the players can be affected by low wind speed in the stadium. This is known as wind drift and has been at the center of multiple tournament controversies. While shutting ...

Ouch! Commonalties found in pain vocalizations and interjections across cultures

Ouch! Commonalties found in pain vocalizations and interjections across cultures
2024-11-12
WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2024 – There are an estimated 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, each offering unique ways to express human emotion. But do certain emotions show regularities in their vocal expression across languages? In JASA, published on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America by AIP Publishing, an interdisciplinary team of linguists and bioacousticians led by Maïa Ponsonnet, Katarzyna Pisanski, and Christophe Coupé explored this by comparing expressive interjections (like “wow!”) ...

Income-related disparities in mortality among young adults with type 2 diabetes

2024-11-12
About The Study: In this cohort study of 1.2 million individuals ages 20 to 79 in South Korea, the risk of mortality with low income was most prominent among individuals with type 2 diabetes ages 20 to 39. These findings highlight the need for socioeconomic support to reduce income-related health disparities in younger individuals. Corresponding authors: To contact the corresponding authors, email Sin Gon Kim, MD, PhD (k50367@korea.ac.kr) and Nam Hoon Kim, MD, PhD (pourlife@korea.ac.kr). To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi: ...

Medical board discipline of physicians for spreading medical misinformation

2024-11-12
About The Study: The frequency of discipline for physician-spread misinformation observed in this cross-sectional study was quite low despite increased salience and medical board warnings since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic about the dangers of physicians spreading falsehoods. These findings suggest a serious disconnect between regulatory guidance and enforcement and call into question the suitability of licensure regulation for combatting physician-spread misinformation. Corresponding author: To contact the corresponding author, Richard S. Saver, J.D., ...

First-ever randomized clinical trial uses telehealth for suicide prevention

First-ever randomized clinical trial uses telehealth for suicide prevention
2024-11-12
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Suicide remains a pressing public health concern. An estimated 703,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide, according to The World Health Organization. In 2022, there were 49,449 suicides in the United States.  A new study found that brief cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention – when delivered remotely via video telehealth – reduces suicide attempts and suicidal ideation. Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine led the study that is published online in the journal JAMA Network Open. The randomized clinical ...

DNA packaging directly affects how fast DNA is copied in cells

2024-11-12
Researchers from the Mattiroli group have found that the way DNA is packaged in cells can directly impact how fast DNA itself is copied during cell division. They discovered that DNA packaging sends signals through an unusual pathway, affecting the cell’s ability to divide and grow. This opens up new doors to study how the copying of the DNA and its packaging are linked. These findings, published in Molecular Cell, may help scientists to find therapies and medicines for diseases such as cancer in the future. Chromatin as a guide Every day, our cells divide. Each time they need to copy both their DNA and the structure in which the DNA is packed. This packaging, ...

Scientists develop advanced catalyst for self-driven seawater splitting with enhanced chloride resistance

2024-11-12
Seawater electrolysis has long been seen as a promising pathway for sustainable hydrogen production but has faced significant limitations due to chloride ion (Cl⁻) corrosion, which can degrade a catalyst's performance. Now scientists from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with their collaborators, have developed an efficient electrocatalyst called Co-N/S-HCS that demonstrates remarkable activity and stability in ...

City of Hope researchers discover why taking a mushroom supplement slows or prevents prostate cancer from getting worse

City of Hope researchers discover why taking a mushroom supplement slows or prevents prostate cancer from getting worse
2024-11-12
LOS ANGELES — Researchers at City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, ranked among the nation’s top 5 cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report and a national leader in providing cancer patients with best-in-class, integrated supportive care programs, now understand why taking an investigational white button mushroom supplement shows promise in slowing and even preventing prostate cancer from spreading among men who joined ...

Montefiore Einstein’s Marina Konopleva joins Break Through Cancer TeamLab in fight against acute myelogenous leukemia

Montefiore Einstein’s Marina Konopleva joins Break Through Cancer TeamLab in fight against acute myelogenous leukemia
2024-11-12
November 12, 2024—(BRONX, NY)— Marina Konopleva, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Leukemia Program and co-director of the Blood Cancer Institute at the National Cancer Institute-designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC), has joined forces with Break Through Cancer, a collaborative medical research foundation that supports teams of scientists as they advance treatments for some of the world’s deadliest cancers. Dr. Konopleva will play a pivotal role in the Eradicating Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) in Acute ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Reality check: making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work

Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain

Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows

Troubling spike in severe pregnancy-related complications for all ages in Illinois

Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas

Need a landing pad for helicopter parenting? Frame tasks as learning

New MUSC Hollings Cancer Center research shows how Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability

#16to365: New resources for year-round activism to end gender-based violence and strengthen bodily autonomy for all

Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands

São Paulo to host School on Disordered Systems

New insights into sleep uncover key mechanisms related to cognitive function

USC announces strategic collaboration with Autobahn Labs to accelerate drug discovery

Detroit health professionals urge the community to act and address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance

3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts 

Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past: Curtin study

In Patagonia, more snow could protect glaciers from melt — but only if we curb greenhouse gas emissions soon

Simplicity is key to understanding and achieving goals

Caste differentiation in ants

Nutrition that aligns with guidelines during pregnancy may be associated with better infant growth outcomes, NIH study finds

New technology points to unexpected uses for snoRNA

Racial and ethnic variation in survival in early-onset colorectal cancer

Disparities by race and urbanicity in online health care facility reviews

Exploring factors affecting workers' acquisition of exercise habits using machine learning approaches

Nano-patterned copper oxide sensor for ultra-low hydrogen detection

Maintaining bridge safer; Digital sensing-based monitoring system

A novel approach for the composition design of high-entropy fluorite oxides with low thermal conductivity

A groundbreaking new approach to treating chronic abdominal pain

ECOG-ACRIN appoints seven researchers to scientific committee leadership positions

New model of neuronal circuit provides insight on eye movement

Cooking up a breakthrough: Penn engineers refine lipid nanoparticles for better mRNA therapies

[Press-News.org] Validating an electronic frailty index in a national health system
“The classification of patients according to their level of frailty allows us to adjust prevention programs and focus our limited resources on the right action for the right person”