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Leeds, UK – A significant advancement in predicting frailty among older adults has been unveiled, promising to revolutionize healthcare for this vulnerable population. Researchers have successfully enhanced the Electronic Frailty Index (eFI), a tool designed to assess older patients’ risk of frailty, enabling earlier and more effective interventions.
The original eFI, developed by academics at the University of Leeds and implemented across the UK in 2016, demonstrated its efficacy by prompting referrals of over 25,000 individuals with frailty to falls services within a year, potentially preventing approximately 2,300 falls. The tool’s impact was further highlighted by estimated savings of nearly £7 million for the NHS in 2018 alone.
Now, the newly developed eFI2 system aims to significantly improve accuracy by integrating data on 36 health factors, including dementia, falls, fractures, weight loss, and medication use. A study published in the journal Age and Ageing, conducted by researchers from Leeds and University College London (UCL), confirms that eFI2 offers more precise predictions regarding the need for home care, fall risks, care home admissions, and mortality.
“This landmark health data study… is a major step forward in transforming health and social care services for older people with frailty,” said Professor Andrew Clegg, NIHR Research Professor and Head of Aging and Stroke Research at the University of Leeds School of Medicine, and Honorary Consultant Geriatrician at Bradford Royal Infirmary. “The eFI2 is a significant improvement on the original eFI and will be extremely valuable for helping GPs identify older people living with frailty so that they can be provided with personalized treatments to prevent costly loss of independence and falls in older age.”
The eFI2 algorithm, leveraging data from Connected Bradford and the Welsh Secure Anonymized Information Linkage dataset, analyzes 750,000 linked records across medical, community, and social care to categorize frailty. This comprehensive approach empowers GPs to apply personalized care strategies, potentially delaying or preventing adverse outcomes associated with frailty, which is estimated to cost the NHS £6 billion annually.
“The eFI2 has great potential as a simple tool to support GPs in identifying people living with frailty who may benefit from further support to help them stay independent,” added Professor Kate Walters, Professor of Primary Care & Epidemiology at UCL.
The eFI2 is currently accessible to three in five GPs in England through Optum (formerly EMIS) software, marking a significant step towards improved geriatric care.
Professor Marian Knight, Scientific Director for NIHR Infrastructure, emphasized, “This evolution of the tool is extremely exciting, enabling people to receive personalized treatments from their GPs and maintain their independence for longer, bringing crucial cost savings to the health system.”
Disclaimer: While the eFI2 provides a more accurate prediction of frailty risk, it is intended to support, not replace, clinical judgment. GPs are encouraged to use their expertise to tailor care plans based on individual patient needs. The information provided in this article is for general knowledge and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any health concerns.(More information: Kate Best et al, Development and external validation of the electronic Frailty index 2 (eFI2) using routine primary care electronic health record data, Age and Ageing (2025). DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afaf077)
