A prospective, multicentre study to assess frailty in elderly patients with leg ulcers (GERAS study).

Background: Although leg ulcers are a burdensome disease most common in those aged 65 years and older, frailty in this population has not yet been well established.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to prospectively explore and compare the presence of frailty in elderly patients with chronic leg or foot ulcers by applying different validated frailty screening methods in three healthcare settings and to assess the feasibility of frailty screening.

Methods: We compared frailty of leg ulcer patients referred to an academic hospital with a non-academic hospital, leg ulcer patients receiving (primary) homecare, and a dermato-oncology patient population (control group).