Why is it important?

Some patients may have frailty recorded using Rockwood coding, but this may not be the same as a QOF-counting frailty code.

This can affect QOF performance, particularly in harder-to-achieve blood pressure indicators. The alert helps users opportunistically identify patients whose frailty coding may need review, so that the record accurately reflects the patient’s frailty status and QOF logic is applied correctly.

What will the user see?

The alert appears as:

Recommended user action

Users should:

• review the frailty information shown in the alert
• consider whether the patient’s current frailty status is accurately coded
• check whether Rockwood coding needs to be translated into a valid QOF frailty code
• use the linked template to update frailty coding where clinically appropriate
• remember that recording moderate or severe frailty may remove eligibility for relevant QOF blood pressure indicators

System Dependencies

This protocol relies on accurate coding of:

• QOF frailty codes
• Rockwood frailty scale codes
• Rockwood frailty scores/values
• relevant QOF disease registers and indicator logic
• blood pressure and HbA1c achievement data

System Triggers

This is an alert protocol which loads on loading the patient record

Change management considerations

Practices should ensure clinical teams understand:

• the difference between QOF frailty codes and Rockwood frailty coding
• that Rockwood coding may not count for QOF
• how frailty affects QOF blood pressure and HbA1c indicators
• when it is appropriate to update frailty coding
• that frailty coding should reflect the patient’s clinical status, not just QOF optimisation

How to get it

These alerts will automatically be in your system when you join our organisation group.