A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), on October 24, 2024, Volume 16, Issue 20, titled, "Development and validation of an electronic frailty index in a national health maintenance organization." The study, led by researchers Fabienne Hershkowitz Sikron, Rony Schenker, Yishay Koom, Galit Segal, Orit Shahar, Idit Wolf, Bawkat Mazengya, Maor Lewis, Irit Laxer and Dov Albukrek from Meuhedet Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in collaboration with colleagues from the Joint-Eshel Organization and the Israeli Ministry of Health, introduces the Meuhedet Electronic Frailty Index (MEFI)-;a digital tool designed to assess frailty in older people and identify those most at risk for serious health outcomes, such as hospitalization or death. As people live longer, identifying those at higher risk for health complications is essential to maintaining quality of life in older age.
Frailty, a condition marked by increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes, has emerged as a crucial predictor of health deterioration in older people. While frailty assessment tools exist, this study adapts and validates an Electronic Frailty Index (EFI) tailored specifically to Israeli data and healthcare infrastructure, enabling more targeted and culturally relevant assessments. The MEFI was developed using data from 120,986 individuals aged 65 and older, comprising different indicators, including physical, social,.