Measuring frailty from Medicare records to guide care for older adults
Applications of Claims-Based Frailty Index to Advance Evidence for Frailty-Guided Decision-Making
This project uses insurance claims and health record data to identify frailty in older adults so clinicians can choose safer medicines, procedures, and care plans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11123137 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will apply a claims-based frailty index to large sets of Medicare insurance data and linked electronic health records to measure frailty without an in-person exam. They will study how frailty relates to medication harms and benefits, outcomes after procedures, health care costs, and resource needs. The team will also use pragmatic trials and pharmacoepidemiologic approaches within participating health systems to see how frailty information could change treatment choices. Findings are meant to help clinicians tailor decisions to people at different frailty levels.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults (often Medicare enrollees) whose insurance claims and health records can be linked for research, especially those with recent hospitalizations or signs of frailty.
Not a fit: People under 65, those without Medicare or linked EHR data, or those who are not frail may not directly benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors pick safer treatments and avoid procedures that are likely to harm frail older adults.
How similar studies have performed: The research team has previously developed and validated a claims-based frailty index, but applying it broadly to guide treatment decisions and pragmatic trials is a newer application.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Dae Hyun — Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged
- Study coordinator: Kim, Dae Hyun
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.