Using routine health care data to develop and validate a system dynamics simulation model of frailty trajectories in an ageing population

Frailty is common in older adults and has a substantial impact on patient outcomes and service use. Information to support service planning, including prevalence in middle-aged adults and patterns of frailty progression at population level, is scarce. This paper presents a system dynamics model describing the dynamics of frailty and ageing within a population of patients aged ≥50, based on linked data for 2.2 million patients from primary care practices in England. The purpose of the model is to estimate the incidence and prevalence of frailty in an ageing population over time. The model was developed in consultation with stakeholders (patients, carers, clinicians, and commissioners) and validated against another large dataset (1.38 million patients) from Wales. It was then scaled up to the population of England, using Office for National Statistics projections (to 2027). The baseline results, subject to the assumption that the frailty transition parameters remain constant over this period, suggest that the number of people living with frailty will increase as the population ages, and that those with mild-moderate frailty are likely to have the greatest impact on demand. This paper focuses on model development and validation, highlighting the benefits and challenges of using large routine health datasets.