What do Brazilian health professionals know about the frailty syndrome? A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The growing care demand for frail older adults and those at risk of frailty in primary health care (PHC) requires professionals trained in the subject to promote adequate care. This study aimed to analyze the self-reported, theoretical and practical knowledge of PHC professionals about the frailty syndrome. Methods This is an observational cross-sectional study with a sample of 485 Brazilian health professionals (bachelor’s degree) working in PHC with older adults. An electronic questionnaire was used to collect data on professional characteristics and self-reported, theoretical and practical knowledge concerning frailty phenotype. Agreement analysis between types of knowledge and multivariate logistic regression were performed to show the factors associated with knowledge about frailty. Results Theoretical knowledge showed the worse result, with 87.5% of the professionals describing the syndrome incorrectly. Roughly half the professionals self-reported (52.6%) very little/no knowledge concerning the syndrome and demonstrated low practical knowledge (55.1%) when identifying clinical cases. There were misconceptions about the syndrome, like it is natural from the aging process (83.3%) and is synonymous with disability and comorbidity (51.2%). The majority of the professionals were unaware of instruments for assessing frailty (77.9%) and the phenotype criteria (68.2%). No agreement was observed between the types of knowledge. Professionals specialized in or who had taken training courses in older adult health were 6.1 and 2.7-fold more likely, respectively, to self-reported some knowledge on the frailty syndrome. Conclusions PHC professionals presented little knowledge on the frailty syndrome. Most professionals were unaware of the frailty definition, its assessments for diagnosis and evidence for its treatment. The lack of knowledge on frailty could affect the care provided to older adults in primary care.

Application, knowledge and training needs regarding comprehensive geriatric assessment among geriatric practitioners in healthcare institutions: a cross-sectional study

“…These three conditions are all preventable and treatable if geriatric practitioners identify them early [ 25 – 27 ]. However, limited awareness and knowledge of frailty, sarcopenia, and delirium among healthcare professionals have been already been reported [ 28 – 31 ]. Regarding the knowledge of the management procedures for GS and multidisciplinary team management for the elderly, physicians and nurses demonstrated varying levels of emphasis on GS knowledge, but overall knowledge was at a low to moderate level.…”

Frailty identification and management among Brazilian healthcare professionals: a survey

“…This finding mirrors another study conducted in Brazil, that evaluated only professionals working in primary care, mainly nurses (63%), finding limited knowledge concerning frailty. When asked to describe what they understood to be the frailty syndrome in older adults, just 13% of the participants in that study gave a correct answer [ 7 ].…”

“…However, researchers frequently adapt previously validated criteria, using non-standard cut points in their studies, further contributing to the need for more standardization [5]. Mesquita and Ricci (2022) found that Brazilian primary healthcare professionals reported very little or limited knowledge concerning frailty (52.6%) and demonstrated low practical knowledge (55.1%). Only 12.5% of their respondents could correctly define the frailty syndrome [7].…”

“…Mesquita and Ricci (2022) found that Brazilian primary healthcare professionals reported very little or limited knowledge concerning frailty (52.6%) and demonstrated low practical knowledge (55.1%). Only 12.5% of their respondents could correctly define the frailty syndrome [7]. Strategies are needed to reduce the "know-do gap" around frailty in the care of older Brazilians [8].…”

Frailty knowledge level and its influencing factors among older adults in China

“…Moreover, most screening and management of frailty occur in the primary care [10,30]. However, insu cient resources in the community [31] and a lack of knowledge on frailty among primary healthcare professionals [32,33] hinder the implementation of frailty-related education for older adults. Therefore, the government should implement more frailty-related education in the community, and healthcare professionals should stay informed on the latest evidence and practices in identifying, measuring, and managing frailty in older adults.…”