FACET proposes solutions to facilitate detection, monitoring and amelioration of frailty in older adults. Frailty can be reduced with improved communication between doctors and citizens via a simple system that allows monitoring of patients’ performance and facilitates interventions when needed.

Origins

Europe faces an important challenge with the burden of frailty, which is one of the major causes of disability and is currently poorly diagnosed. Implementation of new approaches and technologies may help to prevent and even reverse frailty. FACET aims to provide a holistic and transversal approach to frailty – focused on prevention, early detection and intervention – using improved communication between professionals and patients via new technologies.

Team

FACET is composed of Healthcare providers (SERMAS), universities (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Aberystwyth University in Wales), companies (Quirón Prevención, ATOS, GMV and Abbott) and an SME (Genesis Biomed). The consortium merges biomedical and technological aspects to produce relevant long-term outcomes.

The project

FACET aims to design a new approach to prevent, detect, monitor and better manage frailty. FACET will deliver:

• The FACET system: A platform for healthcare professionals that includes a series of sensor-based devices to allow for unsupervised monitoring of frailty status. The system closely connects doctors and patients, permitting early detection of risk situations and providing alerts for doctors to intervene. In addition, the system enables identification of groups at risk of developing frailty in the working population.
• A biomarker panel: It will allow accurate and objective monitoring of changes in dietary patterns associated with frailty risk.
• Educational activities: Activities to increase the awareness of frailty amongst individuals and professionals include online courses (Recognising frailty MOOC), HCP training sessions and frailty workshops (with KOL and representatives from WHO and local government).

EIT-Health provides a strong background for the development of the project, connecting the expertise of a unique range of partners and possible end-payers to increase the project repercussion in Europe.

Impact

The FACET system will enable a new holistic approach to frailty, potentially impacting the quality of life of 13.05 million people, including nearly half a million citizens annually who are in need of preventative measures. FACET will increase the awareness of citizens about frailty and its reversibility. It has a potential economic impact of €1.5 B per year in terms of the reduction in Europe’s healthcare costs.

Why this is an EIT Health project

This project addresses the core EIT Health goal of promoting active, healthier ageing. It also aligns with the following EIT Health Focus areas:

• “Bringing Care Home”, by facilitating monitoring for seniors living at home.
• “Health in the Workplace”, by identifying groups at risk for frailty in the working population.