​Frailty Assessment for Liver Transplant Patients​

The team responsible for liver transplants at LHSC recognizes that frailty is an important consideration both before and after organ transplant. Frailty, a clinical syndrome of decreased physiologic reserve and vulnerability to health stressors, has also recently emerged as a pivotal concept in liver transplantation. It is a modifiable risk factor associated with a higher risk of dying both while waiting for the transplant and after (Duong et al., 2021). It can also lead to falls, depression, disability, and worsening quality of life (Lai et al., 2021). The Physiotherapist and Physiotherapy Associate in LHSC’s Multi-Organ Transplant Unit created a Frailty Assessment for liver transplant patients. It uses evidence-based frailty outcome measures, including the Liver Frailty Index, 6-minute walk test, and grip strength assessment to help identify which patients are at higher risk of problems and may require additional monitoring, as well as helping determine candidacy for transplant. As part of the assessment, patients are educated about the importance of exercise in combating frailty and are provided with a personalized exercise program. Education is conducted equitably and provided to as many patients as possible.