HP452 Frailty code checker

Overview/Purpose

This protocol supports accurate frailty coding for QOF.

It checks frailty coding when the patient record is saved and helps ensure that QOF frailty coding is consistent with the Rockwood frailty code or value recorded during the consultation.

What does it do?

When the record is saved, the protocol checks whether frailty status has been added today.

If frailty status has been recorded, the protocol then checks whether the QOF frailty coding is consistent with the Rockwood frailty coding or value.

Where the coding is not consistent, the user is prompted and asked whether they want the appropriate QOF frailty code to be added to the record.

Why is it important?

Rockwood frailty coding or scoring may not always be sufficient for QOF frailty reporting.

This can lead to situations where frailty has been clinically assessed, but the patient record does not contain the QOF-counting frailty code needed for reporting.

This protocol helps automate accurate data collection at the point the frailty assessment is recorded, reducing the risk of missed QOF coding and avoiding retrospective correction work.

What will the user see?

If frailty coding has been added today but the matching QOF frailty code is missing, the user will see an alert asking whether the appropriate QOF frailty code should be added.

The alert supports the user in keeping Rockwood frailty information and QOF frailty coding aligned.

Recommended user action

Users should:

• review the prompt shown when saving the record
• confirm whether the suggested QOF frailty code is appropriate
• allow the protocol to add the relevant QOF frailty code where clinically correct
• avoid adding QOF frailty coding where it does not accurately reflect the patient’s clinical frailty status
  

System Dependencies

This protocol relies on accurate recording of:

• Rockwood frailty codes
• Rockwood frailty values or scores
• QOF frailty codes
• frailty status recorded during the current consultation
  

System Triggers

System trigger: Save patient record
Run mode: Always run

Change management considerations

Practices should ensure clinical teams understand:

• the difference between Rockwood frailty recording and QOF frailty coding
• that the protocol supports alignment between the two
• that the prompt appears when frailty status has been added on the same day
• that users should only accept the suggested QOF frailty code where clinically appropriate