November 30, 2023 — As Canada’s population ages, it is expected that an increasing number of people will become frail. Individuals living with frailty have an increased risk of hospitalization, longer hospital stays, hospital readmission, emergency department visits and in-hospital death.
The CIHI Hospital Frailty Risk Measure (CIHI HFRM) is a contextual measure developed to support planning and resourcing for seniors (age 65 and older) in hospitals across Canada. It can be used to ensure appropriate and targeted care for seniors with complex medical needs.
Key users include health system planners and decision-makers, care delivery managers and health researchers. The measure can be used to
- Inform models of care for programming, staffing and discharge planning
- Advance quality improvement efforts and support health research
- Improve outcomes for hospitalized seniors at risk of frailty in acute care
Using routinely collected administrative data, the CIHI HFRM follows the accumulation of deficits (or frailty conditions) approach to determine risk of frailty. It is not a clinical diagnostic tool for use with individual patients, nor is it a health indicator to be used for comparisons across jurisdictions.
Featured material
Data tables
Aggregated results for the CIHI HFRM by hospital, health region/local health integration network and province/territory for 2016–2017 to 2022–2023 (2022–2023 data excludes Quebec)
Infographic
A profile of seniors at risk of frailty in Canada, including top deficits (or frailty conditions), health outcomes and more
FAQ
Answers to frequently asked questions about the CIHI HFRM, including its main uses, and the strengths and limitations of the data available
Methodology and metadata
Additional information on the data sources, definitions and methodology for the CIHI HFRM
Our collaborators
The CIHI HFRM was developed and validated through engagement with national and international clinical experts, and through stakeholders’ feedback
Related resources
- CMAJ article: Development and validation of a hospital frailty risk measure using Canadian clinical administrative data
- Webinar: Improving Care for Patients Living With Frailty
- Canadian Health Information Podcast (CHIP): Frailty in Canada — Dr. Kenneth Rockwood
- Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) training module
- Healthcare Excellence Canada: Advancing Frailty Care in the Community
- More information about seniors’ health from CIHI