Background frailty measurement may identify patients at risk of decline after hospital discharge, but many measures require specialist review and/or additional testing. Objective to compare validated frailty tools with routine electronic health record (EHR) data at hospital discharge, for associations with readmission or death. Design observational cohort study. Setting hospital ward. Subjects consented cardiology inpatients ≥70 years old within 24 hours of discharge. Methods patients underwent Fried, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), PRISMA-7 and Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) assessments. An EHR risk score was derived from the proportion of 31 possible frailty markers present. Electronic follow-up was completed for a primary outcome of 90-day readmission or death. Secondary outcomes were mortality and days alive at home (‘home time’) at 12 months. Results in total, 186 patients were included (79 ± 6 years old, 64% males). The primary outcome occurred in 55 (30%) patients. Fried (hazard ratio [HR] 1.47 per standard deviation [SD] increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18–1.81, P < 0.001), CFS (HR 1.24 per SD increase, 95% CI 1.01–1.51, P = 0.04) and EHR risk scores (HR 1.35 per SD increase, 95% CI 1.02–1.78, P = 0.04) were independently associated with the primary outcome after adjustment for age, sex and co-morbidity, but the SPPB and PRISMA-7 were not. The EHR risk score was independently associated with mortality and home time at 12 months. Conclusions frailty measurement at hospital discharge identifies patients at risk of poorer outcomes. An EHR-based risk score appeared equivalent to validated frailty tools and may be automated to screen patients at scale, but this requires further validation.

Introduction Numerous frailty tools and definitions have been described. Amongst hospitalised patients, the validity of face-to-face instruments may be confounded by acute illness. However, patient assessment after recovery at the point of hospital discharge, or recognition of electronic health record (EHR) frailty markers, may overcome this issuep. Methods In a consented, prospective observational cohort study, we recruited patients ≥70 years old within 24 hours of expected discharge from the cardiology ward of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. Three established frailty instruments were tested: the Fried phenotype, Short Physical Performance Battery and nurse-administered Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). An unweighted 32-item EHR score was generated using frailty markers (e.g. falls risk, continence, cognition) recorded within mandated admission documentation. Comorbidity was assessed by count of chronic health conditions. Outcomes were a 90-day composite of unplanned readmission or death and 12-month mortality. Adjusted Cox modelling determined the hazard ratio (HR) per standard deviation increase in each frailty score. Results 186 patients (mean age 79 ± 6 years, 64% male) were included, of whom 55 (30%) had a 90-day composite outcome, and 21 (11%) died within 12 months. All four frailty tools were moderately correlated with age and comorbidity (Pearson’s r 0.21 to 0.43, all p < 0.05). The Fried phenotype (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.18–1.81), CFS (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.01–1.51) and EHR score (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.03–1.55) independently predicted 90-day readmission or death, after adjustment for age, sex and comorbidity. All frailty instruments were independent predictors of 12-month mortality, with age, sex and comorbidity losing predictive power (p > 0.05) once frailty was included in modelling. Conclusions At hospital discharge, the Fried phenotype and CFS added to age and comorbidity in risk prediction for future unplanned readmission or death. EHR frailty markers appeared comparable to face-to-face assessment. An automated trigger for high-risk patients using routine EHR data merits prospective evaluation.

Background Acute pancreatitis is a common, yet complex, emergency surgical presentation. Multiple guidelines exist and management can vary significantly. The aim of this first UK, multicentre, prospective cohort study was to assess the variation in management of acute pancreatitis to guide resource planning and optimize treatment. Methods All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years presenting with acute pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria, from March to April 2021 were eligible for inclusion and followed up for 30 days. Anonymized data were uploaded to a secure electronic database in line with local governance approvals. Results A total of 113 hospitals contributed data on 2580 patients, with an equal sex distribution and a mean age of 57 years. The aetiology was gallstones in 50.6 per cent, with idiopathic the next most common (22.4 per cent). In addition to the 7.6 per cent with a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, 20.1 per cent of patients had a previous episode of acute pancreatitis. One in 20 patients were classed as having severe pancreatitis, as per the Atlanta criteria. The overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent at 30 days, but rose to one in three in the severe group. Predictors of death included male sex, increased age, and frailty; previous acute pancreatitis and gallstones as aetiologies were protective. Smoking status and body mass index did not affect death. Conclusion Most patients presenting with acute pancreatitis have a mild, self-limiting disease. Rates of patients with idiopathic pancreatitis are high. Recurrent attacks of pancreatitis are common, but are likely to have reduced risk of death on subsequent admissions.