Overview

Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) has become the first health board in Wales to implement the eFRAIT digital tool, designed specifically for health visitors.

About eFRAIT

• eFRAIT is the electronic version of the Family Resilience Assessment Instrument and Tool (FRAIT).
• Developed by researchers from the University of South Wales (USW), it aids health visitors in decision-making, care planning, and resource allocation.
• FRAIT has been part of the Welsh government’s Healthy Child Wales Programme since 2016 and became mandatory in 2017.
• Currently, over 1,000 health visitors in Wales utilize FRAIT, impacting more than 1.8 million family contacts.

Expert Insights

Dr. Michelle Thomas, a senior lecturer in adult nursing and health visiting at USW, explained:

“In the UK, health visitors are trained nurses or midwives who focus on disease prevention and health promotion. They engage with families at critical developmental milestones from birth to school age. eFRAIT provides a standardized method for identifying families needing early intervention, filling a significant gap in evidence-based assessments.”

Benefits of eFRAIT

• eFRAIT streamlines the assessment process by integrating it into digital systems, eliminating the need for paper assessments that were previously scanned and uploaded.
• Developed by Dr. Mabrouka Abuhmida, the platform ensures compliance with NHS standards for data governance.

Feedback from Health Professionals

Rebecca Rees, health visiting team leader at PTHB, stated:

“Participating in the eFRAIT pilot is an exciting opportunity for us. The tool reduces paperwork by automatically calculating scores and directly uploading them to the child’s health record, saving time and minimizing waste.”

She added, “FRAIT is more than just forms; it’s about empowering families and enhancing the health and wellbeing of children from the outset. Going digital makes this vision more accessible and effective.”

Future Developments

A self-assessment version of FRAIT is currently in the pilot phase, allowing parents to evaluate their strengths and needs, which can guide health visitors in providing tailored support.

Partnerships

In May 2025, PTHB selected Better as its technology partner to implement an electronic prescribing and medicines administration system, further enhancing their digital health initiatives.