# Frailty Frontline: How To Identify Frailty, and What To Do Next About This Podcast In this episode of GEMCast, host Dr. Christina Shenvi is joined by Dr. James Van Oppen, emergency physician and frailty expert at the University of Sheffield, to discuss the rising importance of frailty in emergency medicine. Frailty, defined as the loss of physiological resilience, is both common and clinically significant for older adults presenting to the emergency department (ED). The two discuss what frailty means, how it can be identified, and how to approach ED assessment and management in a frail patient, emphasizing the value of person-centred care. Furthermore, they highlight recent studies regarding frailty, which can be found in the resources below, and discuss the need for system-wide changes to support frailty care. Alongside his work as an emergency physician and clinical lecturer, Dr. van Oppen is the chair of the geriatric emergency medicine section of the European Society of Emergency Medicine. Play the Episode Tune in to this episode to expand your understanding of frailty and hear some practical tips to improve your clinical practice. https://youtu.be/-kaaVeaBRj0?si=-Kql464kCxZOCh9d Subscribe on YouTube Subscribe on iTunes Key Points Older adults with frailty have a lower physiological reserve and are at increased vulnerability to any acute stresses; as such there is significant morbidity and mortality associated with frailty. Rapid screening tools, such as the Clinical Frailty Scale, are well-validated and can help identify frailty at an early stage, even before ED arrival. Following frailty scoring it is essential to have targeted care that prioritises those most at risk of unfavourable complications. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) care is valuable and should be used where possible. Implement a person-centered approach that involves both the presenting complaint and individual situation of the patient. Never forget the 4 (or 5) M's: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, Mobility and Multi-Complexity. Geriatric Medicine Research Clinical Frailty Score As mentioned in this episode, the 9-point Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) can be used clinically to stratify patients. The linked webpage provides an overview and further resources for using the CFS. Visit Website JGEM | December 3, 2024 Top 7 Things to Know About Frailty in the Emergency Department An article from JGEM with seven key points every ED provider should know about frailty. Read Article European Geriatric Medicine | February 10, 2024 Prevalence of Frailty in European Emergency Departments (FEED): an international flash mob study A large cross-sectional study from 62 sites across 14 European countries, identifying the prevalence of frailty in the ED. Frailty prevalence is substantially higher in the ED than in the community, with 40% of older patients in the ED found to have at least mild frailty (CFS 5+). View Article JACEP Open | February 2024 Frailty assessment tools in the emergency department: A geriatric emergency department guidelines 2.0 scoping review Literature review of frailty screening tools used for geriatric populations in the ED and the impact of tools on assessment and care of patients. View Article BMC Geriatrics | July 16, 2024 Acute frailty services: results of a national day of care survey A single-day-of-care study from 152 acute frailty services in the United Kingdom. There is significant heterogeneity in the provision and organisation of acute frailty services. View Article WEBINAR | October 14, 2025 Frailty Screening and Intervention and the CMS Hospital Measure Experts discuss strategies for Frailty Screening and Intervention in an emergency setting with complex older patients, and how emergency departments can meet domain three of the CMS Age-Friendly Hospital Measure. Watch Webinar Next, listen to Acute care of persons living with dementia: From the clinic to the ED and back with Dr. Christina Prather. Play Episode View All Frailty Resources >