Beyond the Scale: The impact of frailty in clinical practice

Beyond the Scale: The impact of frailty in clinical practice

From ICS Cast by Intensive Care Society

March 20, 2026 · 45 min · Season 1 · Episode 9

About this episode

The episode discusses the Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale and its implications in intensive care, featuring insights from its creator and other experts.

This powerful podcast episode covers an in-depth discussion about the Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale and its use in intensive care settings, featuring Professor Ken Rockwood , the creator of the scale, along with Professor Zudin Puthucheary and Professor Nazir Lone . The conversation explores the origins of the scale, developed not as a screening tool, but as a way to summarise comprehensive geriatric assessments with our speakers delving into how the scale became particularly prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic for ICU admission decisions. Reflecting on the complex decisions clinicians face when treating frail patients in intensive care, our guests challenges listeners to go beyond the scale and calls for careful judgment, empathy, and a deeper understanding of what meaningful care truly looks like.

People in this episode

Guests: Professor Ken Rockwood, Professor Zudin Puthucheary, Professor Nazir Lone

Topics covered

  • frailty
  • clinical practice
  • intensive care
  • COVID-19
  • geriatric assessments
  • decision making

Keywords

  • frailty
  • ICU
  • clinical frailty scale
  • COVID-19
  • geriatric assessments
  • patient care
  • decision making

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rockwood Clinical Frailty Scale, Intensive Care Society

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