Measuring frailty from Medicare records to guide care for older adults
Official title: Applications of Claims-Based Frailty Index to Advance Evidence for Frailty-Guided Decision-Making
Funded at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged · NIH-11123137 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | September 1, 2021 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $612,933 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG071809-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11123137 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
People under 65, those without Medicare or linked EHR data, or those who are not frail may not directly benefit from this work.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how octopuses integrate sensory information and make decisions
This study is exploring how octopuses use their arms to grip things by looking closely at their nervous system and movements, which could help us understand their amazing abilities better.
-
Investigating frailty and aging in childhood cancer survivors
This study is looking at childhood cancer survivors to see how they might face health challenges similar to older adults as they grow up, and it aims to find ways to help them stay strong and healthy by exploring treatments that could improve their well-being.
-
NoviGuide for Newborn Care in Pakistan
A small NIH grant to test a pocket-sized decision support tool for nurses and doctors to improve newborn care in Pakistan.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Shared decision-making to prevent cancer in South Africa
A multi-level, school-based program in South Africa helps families, teachers, and health workers make informed choices to prevent cervical and related cancers, especially where HIV is common.
-
Improving contraception decisions for women with substance use disorders after childbirth
A patient-centered decision tool called MyPath aims to help postpartum women with substance use disorders choose and keep effective contraception after giving birth.
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.