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T. de Castro Domiciano1, W. dos Reis Mesquita2, N. Aquaroni Ricci1
1Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, Master's and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, São Paulo, Brazil, 2Faculdade Verde Norte, Coordination of the Physical Therapy Department, Porteirinha, Brazil
Background: Frailty is a geriatric syndrome resulting from cumulative decline in multiple systems, causing greater vulnerability to adverse factors. This syndrome can be recognized by the presence of three or more criteria from five of which unintentional weight loss, decrease gait speed, muscle weakness, self-reported fatigue, and low level of physical activity. It is particularly important that physiotherapists recognize this syndrome as this professional can be of great value in the treatment, management, and prevention of these five criteria.
Purpose: To verify the knowledge of physiotherapists from primary health care regarding the frailty syndrome in older adults.
Methods: Cross-sectional study with physiotherapists who have been working in primary care for at least 6 months and caring for older adults in the clinical practice. Data collection was performed electronically, through a questionnaire via SurveyMonkey® about professional training, and self-reported, theoretical and practical knowledge concerning frailty. Descriptive statistics were performed.
Results: Sample of 37 physiotherapists, mostly female 78.4%, mean age of 35±5.8 years and 10.8± 5.8 years of graduation. Very few physiotherapist (10.8%) had continuing education in Gerontology, but 45.9% took short courses on older adult health in primary care. Physiotherapists declared caring for 45.4±87.7 older patients (2 to 500) per week. About frailty syndrome, most physiotherapists self-reported having some knowledge of frailty (from some to very much) (62.1%), feeling able to identify the syndrome (72.9%) and to care for frail older adults (67.5%). Analyzing the theoretical knowledge about the syndrome, only 13.5% recognized the correct definition of the frailty phenotype and the majority (51.4%) did not know the phenotype classification through the presence/ absence of the five criteria. Regarding the practice knowledge through the identification by a clinical case, 63.6% were able to correctly classify the older adult. The clinical case with more correct answeres was the pre-frail (83.3%), followed by the robust (66.6%) and frail (41.6%). Most professionals (n = 31; 83.8%) did not use the older adult care handbook provided by the government. Professional training was the most cited strategy (n = 28; 75.7%) to improve the knowledge and care of frail older adults in the primary health care. They prefer a face-to-face course (64.8%) than an on-line approach (43.2%).
Conclusion(s): Physiotherapists who work in primary care, despite self-reporting able to identify and treat frail older adults, have little theoretical and practical knowledge about the syndrome. Therefore, there is a need for continuing education that focuses on evidence-based practice about the syndrome to ensure that the physiotherapists have a comprehensive knowledge on the topic and to guarantee the implementation of the best care for this population.
Implications: The physiotherapists lack of knowledge regarding frailty can negatively impact in actions to identify, intervene, and monitor older adults in situations of frailty in the primary health care setting
Funding, acknowledgements: This work was unfunded.
Keywords: frailty, physiotherapists, primary health care
Topic: Older people
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Universidade Cidade de São Paulo
Committee: Research Ethics Committee of the Universidade Cidade de São Paulo
Ethics number: CAAE: 08929419.0.0000.0064
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
