Frailty Screening in Primary Care-Based Memory Clinics: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Findings

We evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of frailty screening using handgrip strength withgait speed measures within four primary care-based memory clinics in Ontario. This mixedmethods quality improvement initiative examined the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implemen-tation, and maintenance of frailty screening from the perspective of patients (N= 216), carepartners (N= 142), and healthcare providers (N= 9). Frailty screening was well-received bypatients and care partners and perceived as quick and easy to administer and integrate intoassessment processes by healthcare providers at all four memory clinics. The ease of integratingfrailty screening into clinic processes was a key factor facilitating implementation; few challengesor suggestions for improvement were identified. All four clinics plan to continue frailty screening,three using the methods adopted in this study. Integrating frailty screening into memoryassessments is feasible and acceptable and, given the interactional relationship between frailtyand dementia, provides a significant opportunity to improve health outcomes for older adults.