Table 3.

Approaches to Assess Older Patients’ Long-term Prognosis

Assessment Approach	Example
Age	“Age plays the most significant role in my idea of prognosis.”
Functional status	“It’s not so much their medical list but their general physical condition, that person who is unable to move around very easily, has falls, kind of frail…I’m more concerned about them than I am about the person based on what their medical history says or what their age is.”
Specific diagnosis	“Cancer is the only thing, incurable cancer’s the only time you have real confidence [in prognostication].”
Timeframe, y
2	“We kind of recognize when somebody is not doing well and their chances of living for another 2 y [is not good].”
5	“[For me], 5 y is a good dividing point, if they’ve got a good chance of getting to 5 y then let’s do [screening].”
10	“I sort of go through my mind, does this person have another 10 y?”
≥20	“I don’t like the idea that they use the 10-year thing routinely; I think that people are looking more into the idea of 20 and 30 y.”